


Forgettable

by baroness_faron



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Fluff and Angst, Gen, King Papyrus, Mostly Fluff, Nonbinary Chara and Frisk, Papyrus and Frisk are queerplatonic, Post-Undertale Neutral Route - King Papyrus Ending, its kinda slice of life tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-17 04:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 66,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8131021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baroness_faron/pseuds/baroness_faron
Summary: Papyrus is king of the underground. With the six human souls gone, he is burdened by the hopelessness of his people. The monsters have resigned themselves to an eternity in prison.It seems that the return of a certain human might be the closest thing to a happy ending that Papyrus can get.





	1. Prologue

Papyrus wasn't a fool. When the human had traveled through Snowdin Forest- shambling around with dusty hands and a dead, empty look in their eyes- he knew that they were dangerous. Very dangerous. He knew what the dust was and what it meant.

When he realized just how far gone the human was already, he was afraid. He was so afraid of them.

He had gone out to stop them from traveling any further. His plan was to get them to change their mind, and to lead them along a better path. Everyone deserved a second chance, even someone like them. He'd find a way to help them. He was going to do that, or... well. If he had to fight them, he'd be ready. He had his special attack all set up and ready to surprise them, too.

He would be brave, and he would make sure he protected as many people as possible. Even if that meant hurting the human... he just hoped it wouldn't lead to that.

When the human approached him, he spared them. He spoke to them, telling the human that he could help them be better; that this evil path they were taking could be left behind. He promised to care for them and forgive them.

He was afraid as he stood there, quivering before them in the snow, but he did not let it show. He offered them help, support. He reached out to them as they stepped closer, suggesting a hug of acceptance.

If the human tried to attack, only then would he retaliate.

But the attack never came.

The human lept into his arms. They held him tightly, coiling their arms tightly around his neck. Their eyes were squeezed shut and he could feel their arms shaking. He massaged their back gently.

He spotted their tough glove, lying abandoned in the snow.

He was overjoyed at their acceptance of his mercy. Afterwards, the human agreed to be friends with him. They stared up at him blankly, but this time he could actually see emotion behind those eyes. It was as if, in that instant, they had already regained some of their humanity. He was certain that now everything would be okay; that the human would be good now, and nobody else would need to be harmed.

The human quickly returned to his house, hanging out with him for a while. He spent time bonding with them, and they were surprisingly good company. They were kind to him, and he didn't feel like he was in danger when they around anymore. It was a surprising and sudden development, but he could tell that they were trying to be better now.

No more shambling. No more dust.

He got the impression that they weren't exactly good at the whole 'friend' business though. That was understandable, he doubted they had ever had a friend before, considering their... murderous behaviour. 

They seemed almost exceedingly attached to him; as if they had known him much longer than they actually had. They showered him in compliments and flattery. By the time that the human had to leave, Papyrus had already decided that he liked this human very much.

He told them to keep working on it, and gave them his phone number so the two could keep in touch. He wanted to hear about everything they did.

And so, as the human went through the underground, they called him often. They claimed that they were lonely, and the sound of his voice comforted them. They didn't really speak all that much, but he could tell they were listening whenever he spoke.

He tried to protect them against Undyne, vouching for them even though Undyne knew of their wrongdoings. Sure the human had done bad things, but they were trying to be a good person now! He couldn't let Undyne hurt them!

He came up with a plan to make the human befriend Undyne. If Undyne got to know them, then maybe she'd stop trying to hurt them. He had called the human and invited them to Undyne's house. He excitedly traveled out to Waterfall, awaiting the twos arrival.

The human had later met him on her porch, but Undyne never showed up. The human had been happy to see him though, and they had chatted with him for a while. Eventually he brought up his confusion at Undyne's lateness; she was never late, and he was staring to get rather worried. He asked them if they knew what had happened. 

The human shook their head. Soon after they told him that they had to leave, and continue their journey. He optimistically promised he would call them when Undyne showed up, so they could still go through with his plan. The two could still be friends! He knew they could get along if they just tried! The human nodded distractedly as they left.

Calling Undyne resulted in nothing. Maybe she was really busy today? A lot had happened since the human showed up, he reasoned. After waiting for what felt like hours and Undyne still hadn't shown up, Papyrus finally went home. He vowed to go back tomorrow and ask her what had happened.

Before the day was even up, the human had already reached the core. Papyrus was dreadfully disappointed. He had made a new friend- a friend who seemed to rather like him- and now they were going to leave. He had tried to be supportive of them, though.

Everyone wanted to leave the underground. The human had a soul powerful enough to pass through the barrier, so he had no right to stop them.

They had called him and sadly said goodbye before they entered the core. He could hear an unspoken apology in their voice. He promised that he'd be rooting for them.

That was the last he heard from them. 

\---

Papyrus had woken up early the next day, like he always did. Usually when he woke up, the other monsters in Snowdin were still asleep. But he had noticed yesterday that everyone had run off, leaving the town desolate and empty. So he suspected that it'd be even quieter this morning than normal. He was wrong.

The other residents of Snowdin had returned, but they had not done so quietly.

Everyone was up and about, conversing fearfully with one another. Every single monster seemed to be in a panic. Papyrus walked through the crowds of shouting and crying monsters, wondering what was going on. Were they mourning the monsters that the human had hurt?

He paused when he saw the shopkeeper bunny crying with her sister hysterically, the innkeeper clutching her son in her arms as if he could get ripped away at any moment. Those two were always happy relaxed folk, so seeing them so worked up unnerved Papyrus greatly. Things were worse than he initially expected. This had to be more than just mourning.

"HELLO!" Papyrus said, approaching them cautiously. The innkeeper bunnies face was suddenly delighted, and she beamed through her tears at him as he stepped up to her. She hastily put her son down so she could wrap her arms around him instead. He was startled at the sudden hug. "Oh, Papyrus! Thank goodness you're okay!" She peered up at him with watery eyes.

He raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, returning the hug. "WHY WOULDN'T I BE?" She pulled away, wiping her eyes. Her sister put a comforting arm around her shoulders, who was now looking up at him with a considerably calmer expression. "After that terrifying human came through and you didn't run away with the rest of us, we were scared to death that the human would hurt you, too." She smiled fondly at him. "I'm glad you're alright."

He supposed that was a reasonable concern for them to have. But! He didn't want them thinking of the human that way anymore. "OH. WELL, THEY WEREN'T SO BAD!" he announced.

The innkeeper's son stared up at him in awe. The child seemed the least freaked out by all of this. "Really?" He asked softly, "but my mum said that a bunch of monsters disappeared! The human must've done that, right?" Papyrus struggled to think of a response. Sure, the human had been bad before, but... they had changed.

The innkeeper nodded at her son, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at her eyes. "Yes, it's terrible! Even king Asgore is missing! What are we supposed to do without him?" She stuffed her face into her hands and burst into tears. Her sister rubbed her back again, barely able to keep herself together as well. So... more monsters than just Undyne were missing?

The shopkeeper frowned at him, as she consoled her sister. "Everyone that we could have considered a replacement for Asgore is gone too... We have nothing to fall back on. It feels like everything we ever worked for was for nothing..."

Papyrus furrowed his brows, stepping up to the hysterical innkeeper and putting a hand on her shoulder. The bunny looked up at him miserably. He knew what he had to do. "DON'T GIVE UP! I'M SURE EVERYONE IS PERFECTLY FINE. EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY!" He said confidently. She didn't respond, only blinked at him through her tears.

Her son crossed his arms, the small bunny frowning at him doubtfully. "How can you say that," the boy asked, "when all our patience gave us nothing?" Papyrus crouched down and patted his head. "BECAUSE GIVING UP WILL GET US NOWHERE!" He ruffled the kids fur, and the bunny managed a small smile. "I guess... I guess that's true." He laughed, "OF COURSE IT IS! NYEH HEH HEH!"

He was glad to see that the three bunnies seemed more hopeful now, managing tentative smiles at him. 

He would think about this, though. Undyne and Asgore were missing... As well as a bunch of other monsters? Who else was gone? Was everyone just overreacting, or did something serious happen?

As he turned away thoughtfully, he heard the shopkeeper mumble to her sister, "hey... has anyone considered Papyrus...?"

Papyrus wandered off, now looking for someone.

He spotted the monster he was looking for. The brown bear monster was wringing his hands, speaking quietly with a bunny monster that spent most of her time in Grillby's. The bunny wasn't drunk like she usually was when he saw her. He was grateful for that.

"HELLO THERE!" He called, approaching the two of them. "MAY I ASK A QUICK QUESTION?"

They jumped in surprise. The bear grinned at the sight of him. "Papyrus! You're okay!" He grabbed Papyrus' hand and shook it vigorously. "Man, finally some good news!" Papyrus had never been treated in such a friendly way by him before. He wondered why that was.

The bunny monster smiled wearily at him. "Is Sansy okay too?" She seemed afraid of his answer. Papyrus nodded distractedly, his attention still on the bear. "Y-YES SANS IS FINE! BUT, LISTEN I HAVE SOMETHING I NEED TO ASK-"

"Wonderful!" the bear announced. The small bunny breathed a sigh of relief.

The bear let go of his hand, scratching at the back of his head. "You must've been inside your house when we all came back! We were afraid that you were dusted by that human, too!" Papyrus put his hands on his hips stubbornly. He knew where they were coming from but he didn't like his friend being spoken about in such a way. "WELL THEY DIDN'T HURT ME AT ALL! IN FACT, THEY SEEMED TO WARM UP TO ME AFTER A WHILE!"

The two monsters looked shocked. "wow... " the bear said, "only you could befriend someone like them." The bunny shook her head. "Well, you and Sansy are two less monsters that we have to worry about." Papyrus cleared his throat, "IS IT TRUE THAT A LOT OF MONSTERS HAVE GONE MISSING?" The two monsters nodded solemnly. 

The bear seemed to suddenly realize who he was talking to. He jumped up, his eyes wide, "oh! Right, Papyrus! The fish lady- uh... Undyne! She's one of the missing monsters!" The bunny piped up as well, "so is most of the royal guard!"

Papyrus frowned nervously. So she really had gone missing. He didn't want to jump to such a conclusion but... Had he truly helped the human become a better person? Or was he being unfair? They wouldn't hurt Undyne, they couldn't hurt Undyne, she was too powerful... right?

The bunny sighed, her usual ditziness taking a backseat in the face of all this bad news. "Everything happened so quickly. Asgore is gone and now we have nobody to lead us. Everyone's a little freaked out right now." The bear nodded at her words, but Papyrus felt a small indignant flame in his soul. Everyone was already miserable, he didn't need things getting worse!

He stood up tall, his face set seriously. "WELL I'M SURE EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE! WE JUST NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN! WE CAN'T GIVE UP!"

The bear smiled weakly at him, "you're the same as always. At least something is still familiar around here." He hesitated, eyeing Papyrus closely. "You know, you've always been the light of this place. Everyone always feels a lot less hopeless with you here to distract us."

The bear tilted his head. "At a time like this, you could really make a difference." The bunny seemed to get what he was saying, nodding up at Papyrus. "Yeah! Knowing that you and Sansy are still around already makes me feel a lot less stressed out! Maybe I will get a drink today after all." She turned towards Grillby's, seriously considering her options. "Yeah, I think I will."

The bear chuckled weakly, "you were always a big part of Snowdin's politics. Maybe I'll think about suggesting you..." he trailed off, lost in thought. Papyrus waited for him to continue, but when he didn't he decided to leave, turning towards his house. This was a lot for him to think about.

He entered the house and locked the door, standing in the living room. He swiftly pulled out his cell phone and dialed the human's number. He raised the phone to his skull nervously.

It rang once... twice... nobody picked up. He sighed, putting the phone away. They always used to answer him. Was there no connection on the surface?

He started pacing around the living room. How many other monsters went missing? Was this the humans doing? He felt an odd, nervous feeling in his soul at the thought. He hoped dearly that it wasn't the case.

"hey, bro. what's up?" Sans leaned over the railing, peering down at him. Sans was never up this early, but Papyrus was too distracted to question it. Papyrus ran a hand over his skull. "THE OTHER SNOWDIN RESIDENTS RETURNED WHILE WE WERE SLEEPING. THEY TOLD ME THAT A LOT OF MONSTERS HAVE GONE MISSING."

Sans stared at him blankly, the lights in his eyes gone out. He was silent for so long that Papyrus decided that he wasn't going to reply.

He sat on the couch, feeling fatigued. "UNDYNE IS ONE OF THE MISSING MONSTERS," he said worriedly, "I'M A BIT CONCERNED..." Sans seemed to break out of his trance. He moved away from the railing, slowly climbing down the stairs.

Sans reached the last step and stood there, a casual grin on his face. "what? you didn't get the memo?"

Papyrus raised an eyebrow at him. Why was his voice so lighthearted at a time like this?

Sans chuckled at his confusion, "aw man, they invited both of us and everything! you must've missed the letter. i was too lazy to go, but... a bunch of monsters decided to go on a vacation." He spoke casually, as if this wasn't even a big deal. "asgore, mettaton, the royal scientist alphys, the whole royal guard; also some other monsters went. since they're always so busy, a nice vacation would do everyone some good. but uh," he chuckled, "i guess making it a secret trip kinda freaked everyone out, huh?"

Papyrus stared at him. He blinked slowly. "...I SEE. IT'S TOO BAD, BUT I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE GONE ANYWAY. I JUST WISH I WOULD'VE BEEN INFORMED SOONER! UNDYNE MUST'VE BEEN IN SUCH A RUSH THAT SHE FORGOT TO TELL ME..." He felt a little odd, but he believed his brothers words.

Sans would never lie to him... but everyone else's panic still made an impact. Not to mention how terrible the human had been when he met them... But they had changed! They had become a better person!

He recalled how they had trembled when they hugged him.

Sans had to be right... There was no way that the human had continued hurting monsters after befriending him. That moment had been too powerful.

Papyrus nodded, deciding to accept Sans' story. "WELL! WHILE THEY'RE GONE, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP UP EVERYONE'S SPIRITS!" He stood from the couch, and Sans moved to sit on it, sinking into the cushion, "you sure will bro. how freaked out is everybody, anyway?"

"VERY. THE INNKEEPER WAS EVEN CRYING!" Sans chuckled, "oh boy, won't they be mad when asgore gets back and says that it was all just a vacation." Papyrus nodded distractedly. An idea had formed in his mind.

Walking into the kitchen, Papyrus pried open the fridge. "WELL, I DOUBT ANOTHER HUMAN WILL BE COMING THROUGH TODAY! I THINK FOR NOW I WILL MAKE US SOME SPAGHETTI FOR BREAKFAST! WOULD YOU LIKE THAT, SANS?"

Sans didn't reply, so he poked his head out of the kitchen to see what had happened. He found that his brother had fallen asleep. His hood was up to cover his eyes, and his hands were in his pockets. His feet dangled off the edge of the couch, too short to reach the floor. He snored softly.

Papyrus frowned in annoyance. How could he even fall asleep that fast? "I'M SURE YOU WOULD HAVE SAID YES ANYWAY. NOBODY CAN RESIST THE COOKING OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

While he did already have a lot of leftover spaghetti in the fridge, he felt like it would be better for his developing skills to make an entirely new batch. You could never have too much spaghetti, anyway.

After he finished cooking, he carried two plates of pasta into the living room. "SANS! IT'S BREAKFAST TIME! STOP NAPPING!" He sat heavily down onto the couch, bouncing Sans up.

He jerked awake and blinked sleepily at his brother. "oh hey bro." He noticed the second plate in Papyrus' hand. "is that for me?"

Papyrus rolled his eyes, "WHO ELSE?" Sans smiled softly, taking the plate from him, "you're the coolest, bro." They ate in silence,. When Papyrus tried turning on the TV, there was nothing but static. So Mettaton really was gone too, huh? Papyrus felt the odd tightness in his soul again. He shook it away.

He believed Sans. He forced himself to believe him.

After a quiet breakfast, Papyrus wasn't sure what to do. Sentry duty sounded like the obvious course of action, but the Snowdin Forest would feel empty without all the monsters that used to spend their time there.

Papyrus had forgiven what the human did in Snowdin, but he would really miss the other monsters' company. He wondered if anyone would be able to find their dust in the snow. He shivered.

Sans noticed. "hey bro, how's about we just stay in today? everyone is too busy stressin' out to care about making sure that we do our jobs." Papyrus turned to him with a huff. "I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU DRAG ME INTO DITCHING WORK WITH YOU." Sans groaned, pushing on Papyrus' arm. "but there won't be any point in going today. c'mon papyrus, you deserve a break every once and awhile. maybe you could finally do all that laundry that you've been thinking about?"

Papyrus was about to rebuke him, before realizing that he actually did have a lot of laundry to catch up on. He considered it until he met Sans' eye and saw the large, dumb grin on his face. Sans gestured towards the sock that sat beside the TV, a bunch of sticky notes around it. Papyrus glared at him, "NO! I'M NOT GOING TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOU!"

"awww," Sans lamented, leaning over to lay against Papyrus' shoulder. "i was so sure you were gonna go for it." Papyrus rolled his eyes, pushing his brother off as he stood up. Sans didn't bother to catch himself and just ended up laying across the couch.

"I'M GOING TO GO OUTSIDE AND CALM EVERYONE DOWN. MAYBE A BIT OF SPAGHETTI WILL HELP!" He marched into the kitchen, fishing out his leftover spaghetti and reheating every single one.

Sans mumbled from the other room, but his voice wasn't loud enough to carry into the kitchen. "WHAT?" Papyrus called back. Sans mumbled again, and Papyrus sighed irritably.

He poked his head back into the living room, "STOP MUMBLING, SANS! WHAT IS IT?" The skeleton was lying face down in the couch. His voice was muffled. "don't tell everyone about the vacation thing. It was a secret for a reason." Papyrus raised an eyebrow, feeling trepidation overtake his annoyance. "ALRIGHT..."

He shook the feeling away again.

Papyrus stepped back into the kitchen, the microwave beeping loudly. He wasn't sure how he was going to carry all of this spaghetti. But he was certain that everyone just needed a nice warm meal, and then they'd all calm down. Maybe he'd need to make trips.

Once everything was cooked, he piled the plates up his arms and balanced one plate on his skull. He was quite good at balancing plates on his head at this point. Undyne had taught him many culinary skills. All were equally important.

He passed by Sans, who was drowsing off on the couch again. "CAN YOU OPEN THE DOOR FOR ME? MY HANDS ARE A BIT FULL." Sans lifted his head up, inspecting the situation, before plopping it back down onto the couch. "nah." Papyrus wasn't surprised.

After a bit of fumbling, he managed to prop open the door and he slip out into the snow. He felt a few eyes fall on him immediately.

He approached small groups of monsters, handing out spaghetti to them. Nobody rejected his offers, in fact many of them admitted to not having eaten in a while. They seemed to brighten up slightly when he handed them the food.

Never before had anyone accepted his pasta so eagerly. In fact, the people of Snowdin hadn't ever been quite this friendly with him before. Despite their panic and worry, they all accepted his pasta with smiles and lots of thank you's. Many expressed their delight at seeing that he was safe.

He approached the shopkeeper and her sister again. They seemed a lot less freaked out now. They were talking quietly together, their faces set seriously. The innkeeper's son had run off to play with another young bunny monster called Cinnamon, as well as the armless Monster Kid. The three seemed relatively unbothered by the missing monster issue, now that the panic had calmed considerably. 

The two sisters turned to him and their grim moods faded. Soft smiles grew on their faces as he drew closer. Papyrus grinned at them. "WOULD YOU LIKE SOME OF MY SPAGHETTI? I'VE BEEN HANDING IT OUT TO HELP EVERYONE FEEL BETTER!"

The shopkeeper smiled. "We'd love some, sweetie." He handed them each a plate. The innkeeper was taken aback, gaping at the dish in her hands. "This is such a nice thing for you to do for everyone. You went out of your way to help us out..." Papyrus laughed, shifting the remaining plates of spaghetti around to get a better grip on them. "NYEH HEH HEH, OF COURSE! WE ALL MUST STAY POSITIVE! AND WELL FED!"

The shopkeeper ate a little, and her face twisted up for a moment. "This is very good, honey," she said softly. She leaned over, whispering into her sister's ear, "see? I dare say he'd do pretty well..."

Papyrus blinked. He was about to ask them what they were talking about, when instead the shopkeeper addressed him. "Hey, honey... have you considered... becoming the new king?" Papyrus blinked, so surprised that he nearly dropping the plate balancing on his head. 

What? 

The shock on his face must've been obvious, as the bunny hastily felt the need to continue. "We're all in such a hopeless place right now; having someone as encouraging and optimistic as you in command could really help us get back on our feet." She smiled kindly at him. "Snowdin is already much less tense than it was, all thanks to you."

Papyrus looked around at the monsters, watching as they ate together in groups. They weren't happy per-say, but the tears and panic had ceased. The mood appeared to be more solemn than hysterical, now.

He turned back to the shopkeeper, frowning. "BUT I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BEING KING!" The innkeeper waved a hand dismissively. "Nobody does." Papyrus huffed. "THERE MUST BE SOMEONE ELSE MORE QUALIFIED!!" He looked back and forth between the two sisters. They both shrugged wordlessly. 

Papyrus shook his head, sighing. "I GUESS I COULD DO IT; BUT ONLY IF THERE'S NOBODY ELSE WHO WILL." The two bunnies smiled graciously at him. The shopkeeper put a soft hand on his shoulder. "We'll put in a good word for you, dear." He nodded uncertainly, moving away from them. He still had to hand out his spaghetti, after all. 

What an odd thought for them to have. Him? As King? Sure, someone had to rule while everyone else was gone, but... there had to be someone left who knew more about such things than him. He wasn't exactly well versed in politics. 

Of course, he was so great that he'd probably figure out the job rather quickly, just like with sentry duty. So if he had to do it, he was sure that he'd do it well. 

For now, though, he would focus on making sure everyone had something to eat. 

\---

Sans was fast asleep when Papyrus returned to the house. Papyrus wanted to shake his brother awake and demand that he get something done today, but he decided against it. There didn't seem to be much that they could do right now- nothing that Papyrus could think of, that is. He'd let Sans sleep the day away- but only once! Sans would not get such kindness tomorrow. 

Papyrus roamed around the house for a while. He had no idea of what he should be doing with his time. He entered his room and turned on the computer, finding nothing of interest on Undernet. It was much less active today than it usually was.

He returned to the living room, at a loss of what to do.

If Undyne was around he'd consider hanging out with her, but she wasn't.

Papyrus tried calling her anyway. She didn't pick up.

The skeleton collapsed onto the couch next to his brothers feet. There wasn't even going to be anything on TV. Maybe he should just spend all his time cooking spaghetti for the town. That would at least take his mind off things. 

Before he could make his decision, there was a loud rap on the front door, startling Sans from his slumber. Papyrus stood quickly, ignoring the annoyed grumbles of his brother as he opened the door.

The monster that stood before him was a bunny, and his fur was uniquely blue. Papyrus thought he had seen the monster selling ice cream in the forest before, but he hadn't seen him in a while. He had probably disappeared with the rest of the town yesterday. 

The bunny was rubbing at the back of his neck. "Uh hey, so people were thinkin' of making you the new king?" Papyrus heard Sans hiss out a- "what!?" from the couch, but he ignored it.

"YES... WHY, WHAT'S GOING ON?" He asked worriedly. The rabbit wrung his hands nervously. "Well there's nobody around to make decisions for us anymore, so we all just decided to... vote? On it?" He smiled helplessly. 

Papyrus frowned in disappointment. "WHY DIDN'T I GET TO VOTE?" The monster shrugged. "I dunno. It wouldn't have mattered if you did, pretty much everyone is in agreement. We called the Capital about it and, well, they didn't have anyone in mind, so... they said okay?"

Papyrus felt a shove at his side, as Sans pushed himself into view. The lights of his eyes were small. "what, you're only telling us this now? what are we supposed to do? move to the capital?" 

The rabbit seemed to perk up at that, his ears lifting up confidently. "yes, actually! You guys should start packing, I don't know when you'll be expected to get there, but I'd be quick about it." 

Sans frowned as best he could, but the monster was only looking at Papyrus. He smiled up at him. "Good luck out there! Make sure you come visit Snowdin often. Everyone will miss having you around." He turned to leave, before pausing and turning back around. "Oh! One more thing," he handed Papyrus a nice cream. Had he had it in his pocket or something? "It's on the house! Bye!"

The rabbit left, much more happy now than when he arrived, relieved at delivering the message successfully. Papyrus hesitantly shut the door, peeling open the nice cream's wrapper. There was a picture of two monsters hugging. 'I love hugs!' said the caption under the image. Papyrus couldn't help but grin at it. 

He ate the nice cream absentmindedly, thinking about this odd turn of events. "I WON'T DO ALL THE PACKING FOR YOU, SANS." He said, and Sans grinned up at him. "this is so weird. you as king? what does that make me? a prince?" Papyrus shrugged, grinning, "OR PERHAPS YOU'LL BE MY BUTLER!" Sans rolled his eyes. "you know i'd never do anything you tell me to do."

Papyrus dropped the nice cream wrapper in the garbage, crossing his arms. "IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE KING FLUFFYBOYS' REPLACEMENTS UNTIL HE GETS BACK, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ACTUALLY DO WELL. MAYBE HE'LL... LET ME INTO THE ROYAL GUARD IF I DO WELL ENOUGH..." He trailed off, feeling uncomfortable. Sans watched him cautiously.

He shook the feeling away. No, he just had to be positive! Everyone was fine.

"LET'S START GETTING READY. WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP ANYONE WAITING!" Papyrus was already halfway up the stairs by the time Sans replied. "what do we even have that we can pack?" Sans looked around the living room. "the couch? the pet rock?" "PACK WHAT YOU WANT TO BRING, OF COURSE!" 

Papyrus shut his bedroom door, taking a deep breath. He looked around his room, unable to stand the thought of leaving any of his possessions behind even for a few days. How long was he going to be living in New Home? He needed to think reasonably. Only take the essentials. He was going to be king- a very serious and respectable position!

...He wasn't sure how he was going to bring his race-car bed all the way to New Home, but he was determined to find a way.


	2. New Home

Papyrus had never been to New Home before. He hadn't even really been to Hotland, either- but that suited him fine. As far as he was concerned, Hotland was a terrible place. But New Home- now that was a lovely area to live in. He had only ever seen the castle from a distance at that spot in Waterfall before. Up close, it was even larger than he thought it was.

The journey to New Home went rather smoothly. A bunch of Snowdin monsters offered to help them carry their stuff (and on some occasions, they carried Sans as well). It wasn't a very long journey. Upon reaching the Capital, Papyrus found himself gawking at everything.

The city was huge, there were so many buildings and so many monsters living here. Most of the monsters were kinds that he had never seen before. He had pointed out every little detail to Sans, but Sans' reactions were minimal- if he even reacted at all. He seemed very familiar with the Capital, but Papyrus couldn't see why. When would Sans have ever come here?

The monsters that they passed were either crying hysterically, or standing around despondently. Nobody was doing their jobs. Some monsters seemed to realize what his little party entailed, and they seemed to calm as he passed by. Papyrus smiled kindly at a few monsters that caught his eye, but they didn't seem to have it in them to smile back. If he was supposed to give the citizens hope, he would have a lot of work to do.

The king's living quarters was surprisingly small, all things considered. While a lot of the actual castle was built to house other monsters, the king himself lived in a small humble house that sat inside the actual castle. The small party of Snowdin monsters parted ways with them when they arrived, leaving Sans and Papyrus with nothing but a few handshakes and a "you'll do great." Papyrus waved enthusiastically to the monsters as they left. "I PROMISE TO VISIT OFTEN!"

When Sans and Papyrus entered the house and looked around, the strong scent of flowers immediately hit them. There were potted golden flowers everywhere, on every desk and table and shelf. Sans had a thoughtful look on his face as he walked down the hallway. "well i guess we better start settlin' in. which bedroom d'ya want?"

Papyrus followed him, approaching the first room. Sans pushed open the door, and the two blinked into the slight darkness within.

There were two single beds, immaculately made without a wrinkle anywhere in the sheets. There was a thin layer of dust collecting on everything, and the room smelt stale. Sans entered the room, an eyebrow raised. "i don't think anyone's been here in a long time," he said, peering down at two torn open presents on the floor. He nudged one with his foot.

"i stand corrected. these look like they could've been opened yesterday." Papyrus looked around the room, eyeing the toys and hand drawn pictures on the wall. "...I DIDN'T KNOW THE KING HAD KIDS." Sans shrugged slightly, "he doesn't."

The room suddenly felt ominous. The disuse of the room, the perfectly made beds, the empty presents... he didn't like this place at all. "YOU CAN HAVE THIS ROOM, IF YOU WANT." Sans laughed. "are you kidding? this place gives me the creeps. let's check out the next one instead."

They shut the door behind them on their way out, and Papyrus didn't really want to go in there again. if he had the choice. They stepped up to the second door, finding it to be locked with the words, 'Room under Renovations' written on a sign stuck to the door. Papyrus shifted uncomfortably. Would it be okay to go in?

"eh, it's probably nothing." Sans summoned a small bone, sticking it into the lock. Papyrus raised an eyebrow, "WHAT'S-?" "a skeleton key." Sans grinned cheekily up at him. Papyrus glared at him, sighing heavily. "WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?" Sans' only reply was a cheeky smirk.

The door clicked, and Sans swung it open. The two peered inside. It seemed to be a perfectly normal room. It had a bookshelf, a queen-sized bed, a cabinet, and a desk. The room wasn't very furnished aside from that; the bookshelf held no books and when they checked, there was nothing in the cabinet either. The room was stale, but it wasn't dusty, in fact it was rather well kept.

"this room seems pretty good. 's even got nothing in it, perfect for me. this one's mine." Papyrus narrowed his eyes, putting his hands on his hips. "BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE LAST ROOM YET!"

Sans pulled two giant handfuls of socks out of his pockets, dropping them into the cabinet. He turned from his work, tilting his head. "huh? what was that, bro?" Papyrus groaned, "FINE! BUT I'M SURE THE NEXT ROOM WILL BE BETTER ANYWAY!" He stomped out of the room, leaving Sans behind to 'unpack.'

The last room was definitely Asgores. Papyrus peered around at the pots of flowers and the king-sized bed. He'd need to find a place to put all of Asgores stuff, so when he came back... he wouldn't get upset... Papyrus shook his head.

He opened the wardrobe, finding nothing but casual clothes hung up inside. He had never seen Asgore in person, but if these clothes were anything to go by, he was really, really tall. Plus, he apparently didn't dress very professionally..?

He spied a hand-knit sweater that read 'Mr. Dad Guy,' across the front. He frowned at it. He considered calling Sans in and showing it to him, but he decided against it. He shut the wardrobe.

Papyrus approached the desk, finding what appeared to be Asgore's diary on it. He didn't want to snoop, but his eye was caught by what appeared to be the same sentence being written over and over. He peered closer, blinking in confusion. 'It's a nice day today,' the most recent entry said.

He flipped through the journal, trying to find any entry that said something different. He turned to the first page, and found that it was the only thing that said something else, 'Say that's it's a nice day today, even if it's not. It'll make you feel better. I promise.'

Papyrus wasn't sure what to make of it. Asgore was following his own advice, he supposed. But what was the point of writing the same thing over and over? It kind of felt like a waste of a diary. Papyrus pulled open a drawer in the desk and placed the diary inside. He didn't want to get rid of it, but he didn't really want to look at it either.

Papyrus put Asgore's old stuff away in the dusty children's room. Sans suggested it, as the room was rather empty and there was no way that either of them would go in there again. It worked as a makeshift storage room.

Papyrus didn't know what to do with all the flowers, until he looked around and found the throne room. The room was overgrown with golden flowers, the kings throne was practically sitting in the middle of a huge flower bed. Putting a few more flowers in wouldn't make much of a difference, so all the potted ones in the house were moved in there.

...Why did Asgore have so many flowers?

Moving into the house had been easy enough, as the house was pretty lived in. The kitchen was already stocked with food and once the bedrooms were set up, it wasn't that hard to get comfortable; even though he felt a little out of place in a home that belonged to someone else.

Nevertheless, Papyrus grinned proudly at his bedroom, hands on his hips as he beheld his handiwork. His racecar bed had replaced Asgores, and the desk in the corner held all of his action figures, as well as his computer. He brought his box of attacks with him, though he wasn't sure how much he'd be needing it, so he stuffed it into the wardrobe with all of his clothes. He had filled the empty spaces in the bookshelf with the books he wanted to keep from Snowdin(which was most of them).

Papyrus knocked on Sans' door once he was finished, finding the sign that had previously been stuck to door was knocked lazily to the ground. He picked it up, calling to Sans through the door. "SANS? HAVE YOU UNPACKED, OR HAVE YOU JUST BEEN NAPPING?" Sans called out from inside the room. "i've unpacked." He unlocked the door and opened it, moving to the side so Papyrus could see. "isn't it beautiful?" He did a dramatic sweeping motion with his arms.

Papyrus looked in... and then glared at him. "IT LOOKS JUST LIKE YOUR OLD ROOM- BUT WITH DIFFERENT FURNITURE! SANS, IT'S BEEN THREE HOURS! HOW COULD IT ALREADY--?" "it's all about the look, bro," Sans said, grinning, "it just doesn't feel like home if i can still see the floor under all my clothes."

Papyrus stomped his foot, "HAVE YOU SERIOUSLY BECOME DELIBERATELY MESSY?! THERE'S NO SAVING YOU!!" Sans laughed, making finger guns. "you know it." The taller skeleton huffed in annoyance, crossing his arms. "WHATEVER."

He looked at the sign in his hand. He paused, raising a thoughtful eyebrow. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE LIVING HERE TOO, YOU MIGHT AS WELL HELP ME OUT WITH THIS KING THING. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO." Sans waved his hands dismissively. "don't worry about it. i got it all figured out; i'll do the paperwork. the boring stuff."

Papyrus eyed him uneasily. Now that he thought about it, Papyrus wasn't sure how much he could trust his brother to help at all. Even if Sans did help, he would probably put in the minimal amount of effort required to do the job. But if there was paperwork involved, Papyrus was definitely not going to do very well at it either way...

"FINE. YOU CAN DO THE PAPERWORK. AND I'LL DO... EVERYTHING ELSE A KING IS SUPPOSED TO DO." Sans nodded, "yeah, whatever that is." Papyrus was really starting to question Snowdin's idea of what a good leader was.

Papyrus put a hand on his chin, pondering his future actions. "PERHAPS I SHOULD JUST DO WHAT I DID IN SNOWDIN? THEY SEEMED TO THINK GIVING OUT SPAGHETTI WAS A GOOD IDEA!" Sans considered this. "that would be a lot of work, though. there's way more monsters in the capital, hotland and waterfall then there is in snowdin." Papyrus waved a hand, "I'M WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT CHALLENGE. HM... MAYBE I'LL MAKE SPAGHETTI FOR EVERYONE IN THE CAPITAL FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE."

Papyrus hummed, "MAYBE I COULD GET SOME OTHER MONSTERS TO HELP ME, TOO!" He brightened at the idea, "WE WILL MAKE FREE SPAGHETTI FOR EVERYONE, SO NOBODY GOES HUNGRY!" Sans grinned, "you know, that's a good idea. you'll be keeping everyone busy, so they'll stop worrying so much." Papyrus nodded, amazed at his own brilliance. He could do this! He could be a great king!

Papyrus turned, "YOU SHOULD GET YOURSELF A WORK DESK. MEANWHILE, I WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AROUND THE CAPITAL!" Sans nodded leaning on his door frame, "okay, bro. i'll call ya if anyone shows up with something for you to do." "RIGHT!" Papyrus strutted off.

If he was going to be living here, he needed to know the Capital inside and out! Asgore always mingled with his people, so he was sure he could do the same. He was the ruler of the underground now. He had people who depended on him, people who were hopeless and at the ends of their ropes. He would make sure that everyone kept working hard. Then they could find a way out of here. As long as everyone kept their heads up.

\---

After a few weeks of being king, Papyrus discovered that this was not nearly as easy as he had hoped. Making everyone spaghetti was easy enough, and eventually he did set up his volunteer spaghetti-making idea, in order to increase productivity.

The monsters that he spent most of his time around were ones that tried to keep their spirits up. While generally monsters were slowly regaining their spirits, many were taking a very long time to get back to work. Even his best attempts at helping them did nothing to change their disposition. Many felt trapped and hopeless, and he had no idea what to do to counter their misery. Sans had suggested just giving them time to recover on their own, but that was taking too long.

The one monster that surprised him the most was Sans. His brother was actually working very hard to get all the paperwork done. Whenever Papyrus checked up on him, he was focused, typing and writing and reading. Being King apparently required a lot more secretary work than he had expected.

He had been asked about what he planned to do with any humans that fell down here. That question bothered him. Humans seemed to vary quite drastically, even a single human could change in behaviour very quickly, as he had seen. He couldn't judge every human the same way, so Sans suggested that they just judge it case-by-case. It seemed like a fair concept.

Papyrus was saddened by the idea that someone else would get the pleasure of giving the humans puzzles. Not like any of his puzzles had worked out against his human, but still. Maybe a new one would like puzzles, and he wouldn't be there to see it. Well, if a new human ever got to New Home, he'd be sure to give them some of his best puzzle ideas before sending them on their way to the surface.

Papyrus found himself calling Undyne multiple times, leaving her messages when she didn't pick up. He worried about her, but hearing her voice mail recording ("THIS IS UNDYNE!!! CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD!! I guess I must be busy out kickin' someone's BUTT, so just leave a message and I'll get back to you!") made him feel less stressed. Sometimes he'd call without even leaving a message, just happy to hear her friendly voice again.

Sans was always busy now that he seemed to be taking his job seriously- his time was spent either working or sleeping- so sometimes even he wasn't around for Papyrus when he was feeling a bit... heavy. Papyrus wasn't used to feeling tired, but trying to be the light in everyone's life wasn't easy, especially when he had nobody to go to when he was feeling down.

And even if Sans did have the time, Sans wasn't exactly the sensitive type. Undyne wasn't either, really, but she was way better at making Papyrus feel better than Sans was- while Sans was genuine whenever he tried to encourage him, he could never think up much more to say than, 'c'mon bro, you're the best. you can do it.' Undyne could distract him with cooking or sparring, and her enthusiasm was almost as contagious as his.

Papyrus almost felt like he was in mourning. Every other monster seemed to be doing the exact same thing, so maybe it was contagious? But... after all... everyone was fine. He was just feeling a bit lonely, that's all. Even though he spent all his time outside his new house and traveling to different parts of the underground to encourage people in person, he still felt... isolated. The people of Snowdin treated him with a gentle kind of familiarity, but it still wasn't the same as having an actual friend.

But still... He had to stay happy for everyone's sake. He wasn't ever going to give up. He'd keep working until everything was perfect. Papyrus knew that if they were to ever have a chance at freedom again, giving up would need to be left behind. It wasn't going to get them anywhere.

Sans always used to give up, but now he was working hard! So even his lazy brother knew that doing nothing would help nobody. Papyrus didn't have much of a plan on how to escape, but these things took time. People just needed to get back on their feet again first. Then they could make plans of action.

Still, everything had been so tiring, especially with his few friends gone. So whenever he was feeling down, he'd call Undyne, and he'd tell her that he was feeling down. He'd tell her about his day. He wondered whether she was listening to the messages, or if she was even getting them at all. She would have called him back by now if she was, right?

\---

One day, he and Sans were sitting in the living room, Papyrus sitting on the cushioned rocking chair and Sans working quietly at the dining table, filling in and signing a booklet of papers. Papyrus didn't have much to do at the moment, so he read an old favourite puzzle book of his.

He considered making a puzzle in the castle somewhere. Something new that didn't involve mazes, or blue/orange lasers. He rolled his eyes at the thought. They were all over the Capital. So unoriginal.

"ah!" Sans breathed in relief, stretching his hands above his head, his bones popping noisily. "that's the last one for today." Sans turned in his chair, crossing his arms across the backrest and grinning at his brother. "i could definitely take a nap now. i'm feeling it. a pretty good reward for all my hard work." He grinned wider as Papyrus looked up at him. "oh, actually, i have a better idea."

He pulled out his cell phone, making Papyrus raise an eyebrow. Sans didn't ever call anyone. "it's been a little while since we've seen that human kid. have you ever tried callin' them?" Papyrus shut his book, "OF COURSE! I CALLED THEM THE DAY AFTER THEY LEFT! BUT THEY DIDN'T PICK UP." Sans waved a hand. "pfft, only once?" Papyrus nodded, and Sans ushered him over.

Papyrus stood, and so did Sans, the two standing together as Sans dialled the humans number. Sans grinned up at him. "you see, the trick is to leave a message if they don't pick up." The phone rang, and then it beeped. There was no answering machine, or recorded message.

"heya. is anyone there?" Sans lifted the phone to the side of his head. "well, i'll just leave a message..." He put his other hand in his pocket. "so... it's been a while." Sans' voice became very soft, even quieter than it usually is. Papyrus could barely make out anything he was saying.

"since you left... things have gotten really strange. overnight, a bunch of people mysteriously disappeared. as well as the human souls. people were heart-broken. everyone they looked up to... everything they were relying on, in one night, disappeared." Papyrus considered leaning down to hear Sans better.

He actually couldn't hear Sans at this point. Would the phone even pick up his mumblings? Before he could ask Sans to speak up, Sans did just that.

"everyone clamoured to elect a new ruler as fast as possible. so, uh... by process of elimination... papyrus became the ruler?" Sans shrugged and winked up at Papyrus, "why doesn't he talk to you about this..." Papyrus blinked at him, but grabbed the phone anyway, clearing his throat. He was getting very good at leaving messages.

"HELLO!!! HUMAN!!!" He shouted a bit too loudly. He laughed softly to himself, trying to think of a topic. "IT'S STRANGE. ASGORE, ALPHYS, METTATON, AND UNDYNE WENT AWAY. SANS SAYS THEY WENT OUT ON VACATION." He looked down at Sans, who stared blankly at him. "I HOPE THEY'RE HAVING FUN!!!" He could tell that there was a bit too much hope in his voice, and he cleared his throat. He believed what Sans had said. He did.

He quickly remembered what he was supposed to talk about. "OH YEAH. I'M THE RULER OF THE UNDERGROUND NOW!!!" He smiled and stood up taller. "EVERYTHING IS IMPROVING A LOT HERE. PRODUCTIVITY IS UP! BECAUSE I TELL EVERYONE TO KEEP WORKING. AND, NO ONE GOES HUNGRY!!! BECAUSE I COOK EVERYONE SPAGHETTI." He truly did feel very proud of his achievements, even if it was tiring. But in the face of his brother, he needed to stay extra positive. Sans was easy to demotivated. Papyrus smiled down at his brother, thinking up another way to encourage him.

"MEANWHILE, MY BROTHER HANDLES THE PAPERWORK. STRANGELY... HE SEEMS TO BE WORKING HARD? THIS SOUNDS MESSED UP... BUT... I'M PROUD... OF HIM?" Sans blinked in surprise, and the genuine happiness on his brother's face was too good to tease. "OH NO!!" He cried jokingly. Sans chuckled and rolled his eyes.

Papyrus considered what else he could tell the human. There was so much. "AS FOR OUR HUMAN POLICY... WE'VE DECIDED, UM." Papyrus wasn't sure how to word it. It had been Sans' idea after all. "SANS, WHAT WAS IT?" Sans leaned up, and Papyrus held the phone down for him to speak. "we can't judge humans to be all good or all bad."

The phone was immediately brought back up to Papyrus' face. "RIGHT! SO IT'S CASE-BY-CASE!" He knew the human would like such a smart policy. "IF THEY'RE EVIL... WE GIVE THEM PUZZLES! IF THEY'RE GOOD... WE ALSO GIVE THEM PUZZLES! THAT SEEMS TO BE THE BEST WAY!" Sans laughed.

Sans waved a hand tiredly to get his attention, and Papyrus put a hand on the receiver. "you keep talking to them for as long as you want. i think my exhaustion is finally catching up with me. i'm going to take a nap. i'll leave my door unlocked, so leave my phone in my room wherever, i'll find it." He strolled off, and as he left Papyrus realized that now was his chance to tell the human all that he wanted to say.

"IS SANS GONE?" He asked the phone conspiratorially. he checked if Sans would return. He didn't. Papyrus took a deep breath, sitting down in the rocking chair again.

"YOU KNOW... DON'T TELL MY BROTHER, BUT... DESPITE THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE MADE... SOMETIMES THIS JOB IS KIND OF HARD." He sighed, "SINCE THE KING WENT AWAY... LOTS OF PEOPLE JUST WANT TO GIVE UP. SOMETIMES, EVEN MY BEST ENCOURAGEMENT... DOESN'T WORK."

He couldn't stop now. He had to tell them as much as he could. Then maybe they'd call back, maybe they'd realize that he needed them to come back. He needed someone. "AND, AND, I MISS UNDYNE, TOO. SHE NEVER ANSWERS MY PHONE CALLS..." He hoped they'd understand. "SHE MUST BE HAVING A LOT OF FUN ON VACATION. I JUST WISH SHE'D SEND A POSTCARD..." He tried his best to believe his own words. At this point, it became almost easy.

He suddenly stopped, at a lack of what to say. Should he end it there? "...BUT HEY! I WON'T GIVE UP!" He announced, trying to be brave. "I CAN'T GIVE UP! I HAVE TO MAKE EVERYONE GIVE UP GIVING UP!" Papyrus grinned. He just had to stay positive, everything is so much easier if you just believed in yourself.

"WE'LL GET OUT OF HERE, SLOWLY! THEN WE CAN ALL HANG OUT AGAIN! NYEH HEH HEH!" He laughed, and then the phone beeped. He pulled it away from his ear, and found that the time had run out. He laughed again, a bit more nervously this time. He hadn't even gotten the chance to say good-bye. He hoped the human would reply... he so dearly wished to hear a familiar voice again.

\---

About a week later, Papyrus had some free time that he intended to spend relaxing. Disappointingly, he had no idea how to do that. He rarely slept as it was, and he refused to take naps. Naps were a huge waste of time. He wasn't in the mood for sitting around at all, either. He just... wanted to do something easy and calming. He had no idea what something like that could be.

Papyrus roamed around the house for a while, until Sans tentatively told him that it was distracting. Papyrus understood, and he found himself drawn towards the old throne room instead.

He took the pathway down to the private, secluded area. The day they had moved in they had removed the thrones from the place, due to not wanting to need to travel so far all the time. Well, that was Sans' reason. Papyrus just wanted his throne to be in a cooler place than in a bed of flowers.

From inside the room he could faintly hear the rumbling of the barrier. He hadn't really thought much about a means to escape. He had briefly researched what could potentially destroy the barrier, but no obvious solution came to him. Apart from the barrier, there was barely any noise at all. Some distance away, he could hear birds chirping.

Papyrus eyed the garden, noting the way the flowers had changed since he had last seen them. Asgore had taken good care of the golden flowers here, but neither Papyrus nor Sans bothered to follow in his footsteps.

Papyrus could tell that the flowers weren't doing so good anymore; their leaves crunched under his feet when he walked over them. Before they had always been soft and silent. They were more brown than golden, now. It kind of made him feel down, but he couldn't bother himself with it.

He didn't know how to take care of plants; he had lived in Snowdin for years. Waterfall always took care of itself and Hotland didn't have any plants. He thought about it for a moment. Waterfall had a lot of water. Maybe that's what needed?

Papyrus frowned, looking around with a bit more interest. He didn't originally know why, but now he had figured out why he didn't like coming in here. The flowers all looked identical to a tiny little flower who used to say nice things to him. That flower hadn't come to speak with him in a very long time. He wondered if it went on a 'vacation' too. He frowned. He wasn't going to think about that.

Spotting a watering pail, he forced a smile back on his face. Water, yes that's what they needed. He wouldn't let these flowers give up, either. Maybe he had been too focused on helping monsters to help these plants, but everyone deserved a little encouragement every once and awhile. Just because plants couldn't solve puzzles or eat, didn't mean they didn't want to live.

He filled the pail with water and poured it over the flowers' petals. Watering all of them would take a lot of time, but he wasn't in much of a rush. He felt a contented calm wash over him. This was a good distraction from how hectic and crazy his life had become.

Maybe Asgore took care of all these flowers for the same reason he was. Maybe Asgore had wanted friends too, or maybe he just needed something to do. Maybe it was something else entirely. It didn't really matter.

Papyrus was kind of tired. It was difficult to make people happy when you weren't really all that happy either. He just wanted a break every once and a while. So for now, he'd just focus on watering every flower. He wouldn't miss a single one.

He heard flowers crunch behind him. He frowned, puzzled. He was facing the pathway back to New Home. The sound had come from the door to the barrier. He shook his head, brushing the hope away.

It was just Sans. Sans never came in through a door that made sense. "DON'T STEP ON THE FLOWERS, SANS. THEY AREN'T DOING SO GOOD." He said worriedly, turning to sigh at his brother for being so careless. What his eyes alighted upon however, was definitely not Sans.

It was the human.

 

"H- HUMAN?" Papyrus couldn't believe it, but it was definitely them, without a doubt. He froze at their sudden arrival, unable to fully comprehend that they were there. They were standing in the flowers, and were staring at him blankly. He gaped at them and dropped the watering pail with a loud crunch from the flowers.

They were wearing a different striped shirt; it was a puffy blue sweater with white stripes. Instead of their shorts, they were wearing dull blue overalls. They also had a golden flower tucked behind their ear, and Papyrus blinked in confusion at it. It was much healthier than all the ones in the garden. Had they gotten one from the surface?

The two stared at each other from across the room. It was silent for a long while, until the human smiled, raising a hand and beckoning him over. He hesitantly stepped forward, and the human stepped away, walking back into the room that lead to the barrier.

"H-HEY, WAIT! DON'T LEAVE YET!" He rushed after them. From this room he could see the barrier out of the corner of his eye. But his focus was wholly directed at the human that stood before him. If it weren't for the barriers rumbling, this room would be completely silent.

He approached the human, smiling cautiously at them. "HUMAN! YOU HAVE RETURNED! I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" He hesitated. "DID YOU GET MY MESSAGE?" They nodded, blinking slowly. He tilted his head in confusion. Why weren't they speaking to him?

"WHY... WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER OUR CALLS?" The human shrugged meekly. They didn't have a satisfying answer. "WELL..." Papyrus struggled to think of something to say, "I... MISSED YOU..?" They smiled again, a fond look in their eyes this time. "I missed you, too." Papyrus felt some of his nerves calm. They were finally speaking.

The human looked away. "Sorry I took so long to respond... I didn't mean to." Papyrus jumped in surprise, "NO, NO! IT'S ALRIGHT! I'M SURE YOU WERE BUSY UP THERE ON THE SURFACE!" They didn't respond, and only stared up at him. The human always had tired-looking, narrow eyes, but now that he was looking closely at them... their iris' were a vibrant crimson. It was kind of creepy.

The human gasped suddenly, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah." They raised a tiny hand up, offering it to Papyrus for him to hold. He reached out and took it. The human shook his hand slightly. "My name is Frisk," they said gently. Papyrus blinked at them, before pulling his hand away.

"OH MY GOD!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I NEVER ASKED YOU YOUR NAME! WHAT KIND OF COOL FRIEND AM I?" He sat down to be at eye level with them, pouting sadly. "I'M SORRY, HUMAN!" Frisk giggled into the back of their hand, "It's okay. I don't think any monster asked." Papyrus huffed, "I'M SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR FRIEND, THOUGH." Frisk waved his worries away, with a shake of their head. "I don't mind."

Papyrus didn't reply, instead he mentally berated himself for being so scatterbrained. The human watched him for a moment, considering their words. "Hey. Um... If you ever have time to, or want to hang out again... you can call me." Papyrus glanced at them. They looked away, "I'm gonna be nearby. On the surface, I mean. So you can call me, and then I'll show up!" They scratched at the back of their head nervously.

"REALLY..?" Papyrus asked weakly, and they nodded. Papyrus grinned. "WOWIE!" He grabbed them in his excitement, standing up and swinging them around in circles. "IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I COULD HANG OUT WITH SOMEONE! THANK YOU, FRISK!" They held their head when he stopped spinning, holding them at arm's length. "D- don't mention it," they drawled dizzily.

"I HAVE TIME NOW! WE SHOULD HANG OUT RIGHT NOW!" Papyrus placed Frisk back down, and they laughed awkwardly, "I dunno... I kind of don't want anyone to know I've been here..." Papyrus paused in his excitement. "WHY NOT?"

Frisk shrugged. "Well... okay. C'mon," they walked around him, stepping back into the garden, "I need to tell you something."

Papyrus followed, and the two sat together in the grass next to the flowerbed. Frisk fumbled nervously with the flower in their hair, pulling it into their hands and staring at it. Papyrus waited for them to speak up, but they seemed to lack the courage to do so. "WHAT IS IT?" Frisk sighed. "Well... it's about the barrier."

Papyrus smiled excitedly. "DO YOU KNOW OF A WAY THAT WE COULD BREAK IT?" Frisk shrugged, finally finding a way to start. "Kind of. But... you're not going to like it..."

"The reason all the monsters are so hopeless is because the human souls are gone." Papyrus hummed. He felt like he had heard some monsters mention that before. Frisk clenched the flower in their hands tightly. "With the power of seven human souls, Asgore would have the power to destroy the barrier. He'd become a god. He needed only one more, but thanks to..." They glared at the flower in their hands, "me... they're all gone now."

"...HUH. SO YOU'RE THE SEVENTH HUMAN. ...THAT'S WHY I HAD TO CAPTURE YOU!" Frisk nodded. "Yes, but... to get a human soul... you have to kill the human." Papyrus froze.

Is that what would've happened if he had bothered to try and capture them in the end? He wondered if that was why Undyne seemed to hate humans so much. He could understand her being less forgiving about Frisks misdeeds than he was, but she had hated humans even before Frisk showed up.

The pieces fit, it made sense, but he couldn't believe something like this had been kept from him! Even now; now that he was king! If a new human fell into the underground, did the people expect him to continue where Asgore left off?

It was as if Frisk had read his mind. They sighed, "if another human falls down here... the monsters will try to kill them." Papyrus fumbled with his words, "B- BUT I TOLD EVERYONE THAT WE HAD TO JUDGE THE HUMANS FAIRLY! AND I SAID THAT WE HAD TO GIVE THEM PUZZLES!" Frisk shook their head. "That won't stop them. They need hope. They need to have some sort of reassurance that they'll get out of here eventually." Papyrus stood hastily, "I WON'T LET THEM! IF A HUMAN FALLS DOWN, I'LL GET TO THEM FIRST, AND I'LL PROTECT THEM!" Frisk smiled, their nerves seemingly gone now.

"So now you know why I can't let anyone but you know that I've been here." He looked down at them. There was a pleading look in their eyes. He leant down to put a hand on their shoulder. "...OF COURSE. I WON'T EVEN TELL SANS." The smile on their lips didn't reach their eyes. "Thank you."

Frisk then stood, "I need to go now. I can't hang around when someone could show up at any moment. Call me whenever you have time."

He nodded. "I WILL TRY TO CALL AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE!!" They laughed gently, "and I'll try my best to show up as quickly as possible."

Papyrus followed them into the barrier room. The long, unending hallway stretched out before him. It was eerie, not to mention intimidating. He didn't like looking at it. He stepped towards Frisk as they stepped up to it. "I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU! I HOPE YOUR OTHER VISITS CAN BE LONGER." Frisk turned away, facing the barrier. He couldn't see their face. "Don't worry... They will be."

They stepped into the bright light of the barrier, and Papyrus watched as the whiteness engulfed them. They were no longer visible.

Despite the slight dread of the new information he was now aware of, he found himself sighing happily. At least now, finally, one of his friends had returned to him. Maybe if he kept waiting, they'd all eventually come back. He smiled, stepping back into the garden.

Frisk had changed. They had come back for him. He had saved them, he was sure of it.


	3. Humans and Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted to put so much in this chapter. i cut so much but its still so long

All the next day, Papyrus was reinvigorated. Before his days would be spent worrying and trying to ignore said worry, but now he had something to look forward to. He was excited at the idea of Frisk coming to visit; he wanted to have free time as often as possible.

When he was working he now felt like it was much easier to be positive. He felt like he could be a better inspiration when his own spirits genuinely felt higher. He could be a much better leader now that he had Frisk whenever he needed them.

That day he had been scheduled to travel to Hotland in hopes of appointing a new royal scientist. There was very few monsters that even slightly qualified for the position, and Papyrus knew so little about the subject that he just asked a bunch of monsters to share the work. If everyone was too unmotivated to do much of anything anyway, they could all share the workload and get more done as a group.

He asked them to try and find some other way to break the barrier, without needing to use human souls. The mention of the souls made the small group of monsters hang their heads sadly.

Papyrus gave them all a hot meal (of spaghetti) in hopes of brightening their spirits, and they all promised to get research started right away. Despite the obvious exhaustion in their voices, he decided to believe them, and went on his way.

Hotland didn't get much from him very often (considering the fact that he hated the place) but he felt bad for neglecting the monsters there, so in the face of his new burst of energy he spent the whole day there; cooking meals for everyone and encouraging other monsters to join in his efforts. There wasn't much else for anyone to do, anyway. They might as well work together to make sure that everyone got fed.

Upon returning home, Papyrus found Sans working diligently again, the small skeleton smiling up at him as he passed by on his way to the kitchen. Papyrus had bought groceries, and as he put them away he considered calling Frisk.

Sans was busy, and once he finished working, he usually went straight to bed. This could be a very good opportunity. Perhaps he could give some extra spaghetti to Frisk when they showed up! It was almost dinnertime, after all.

Papyrus decided to prepare some pasta for the human, and then he set off for the garden. He supposed it wa a safe place to wait for them, it was very close to the barrier and almost nobody went in there but him.

As Papyrus strolled towards the garden, he pulled out his cell phone. Would Frisk answer? The phone rung a few times before going to voice mail with a beep. Papyrus hesitated. "COME SEE ME TODAY, FRISK! I'LL BE IN THE GARDEN, SO YOU DON'T NEED TO LOOK FOR ME! I HOPE YOU SHOW UP! SEE YOU THEN!" He hung up with a soft click. He hoped that was good enough.

Papyrus entered the garden and set his spaghetti on the small sliver of cool marble tile that wasn't completely overgrown with grass yet. He went ahead and watered the flowers again, filling time while he waited for the human to show up. The flowers didn't look much different from yesterday, but he could see some soft golden petals sticking out amongst the crunchy brown ones. So water was the solution to this puzzle!

He heard footsteps brush through the grass, and the loud crunch of dry flower petals made him look up. Frisk had arrived, and was smiling cautiously at him.

They sniffed, "what's that smell?" Papyrus jumped up from his work, setting down the watering can and rushing up to the child. "YOU'RE BACK! I KNEW YOU'D RETURN!!" Frisk laughed at him, "I said I would, didn't I?"

"OF COURSE, I KNEW YOU WOULD! I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU!! HERE, I MADE YOU SPAGHETTI!" He quickly picked up the pasta that he had prepared, holding it out towards the human. "IT'S AROUND SUPPER TIME SO I MADE SURE TO GET YOU SOMETHING!" Frisk seemed a bit taken aback, blinking in surprise at the offered meal. "Oh, wow.. thank you..."

They grabbed the plate from him and sat down in the flowers. The dirt was wet, and Papyrus sweated nervously as the mud started to stick to their clothes. How could they just let themself get dirty like that?

Frisk ate quietly, eyes downcast. "Has any other humans come through yet?" They asked in between a mouthful of food. "NO. I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU IF ONE DID." Papyrus knelt down in the flowerbed, careful not to get too much dirt on his King Outfit. "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, FRISK. I'LL MAKE SURE THAT ANY HUMAN THAT COMES THROUGH ISN'T HARMED!" They didn't look up at him.

Frisk raised their hand to their heart, and he could see their red soul threatening to reveal itself through their shirt. As well as... something more... white?

"I don't know if you'd be fast enough to save them... You'd need to go all the way to the Ruins before any of the locals got them." Papyrus pumped his chest proudly, "I COULD DO IT! I'D ORDER EVERYONE TO SPARE THEM!" Frisk smiled up at him, and they absentmindedly fiddled with the flower in their hair. They looked away again.

"...I'd like to see how heroic you can really be when faced with something like this. Even Asgore couldn't... couldn't deny his people the only hope they could cling to. Sometimes you gotta do things you don't want to, and there's no way everyone can be happy." They clenched at their soul again, and this time Papyrus could definitely see a white glow. What was that? He shook his head.

"I CAN BARELY BELIEVE THAT KING ASGORE WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!! HE'S SUCH A PUSHOVER!" Frisk smirked wryly, "Asgore didn't want to kill me, or anyone. He really didn't. He is a pushover. I was able to get around him unscathed for the most part, because he just couldn't bring himself to hurt me..." They looked away from him sadly, and again he felt like they were hiding something. Frisk clearly felt uncomfortable.

"FRISK?" They tilted their head up to look at him, their red eyes shockingly wide and observant. He almost shivered when he looked into them. "...NO MATTER WHAT, WE NEED TO KEEP IN SIGHT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT. EVEN IF IT TAKES LONGER, WE WILL FIND ANOTHER WAY! I WILL NOT LET INNOCENT HUMANS DIE JUST SO WE CAN BE FREE." Frisk stared at him for a moment.

The human's eyes sunk to their usual squint and they looked away. They seemed to have fallen into a deep thought. Papyrus wondered if the monsters really would listen to him if he told them to spare a new human. He was their King! They had to listen.

Frisk continued eating. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me about?" Papyrus paused, considering his answer. He wasn't in as much of a mood to chat now, but Frisk was here to help him relax. If they wanted to change the subject, he supposed venting to them would be nice...

"...LOTS OF THINGS!" Frisk grinned down at their spaghetti. He felt his grim mood fade away with their smile.

They seemed to enjoy listening to him talk. It was just like back when Frisk used to call him on the phone; he would talk and they would listen. The only difference was that now, he was speaking of more... tiresome things.

"ITS REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET EVERYONE BACK INTO THE REGULAR ROUTINE OF THINGS. EVEN THOUGH WE'VE MADE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS, EVERYONE IS STILL REALLY... SPECIFIC ABOUT THE THINGS THEY THINK ARE IMPORTANT!" He sighed.

By now, Frisk had long finished their food, and were listening to him intently. He had sat down in front of them, legs crossed in the dirt. He hadn't even noticed the mud clinging to his armored boots. "IT'S LIKE EVERYONE HAS BECOME RESTLESS. I SUPPOSE THEY EXPECTED FREEDOM TO COME SO SOON THAT NOW THEY DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANY LONGER."

Frisk nodded silently. Papyrus waved his hands expressively as he talked, "BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S AS IF THEY'RE ALL... EXHAUSTED." He put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "IT'S AS IF EVERYONE'S BECOME SANS! IT'S SO HARD TO DEAL WITH SANS SOMETIMES, AND NOW THERE'S HUNDREDS OF HIM! NOT TO MENTION THAT SANS HIMSELF IS ACTUALLY ACTING RESPONSIBLY NOW!" He threw up his hands in exasperation. "EVERYTHING HAS GONE ALL BACKWARDS! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT!"

It had to have been least an hour until Frisk decided that it was time to leave. "I'm sure you're busy. Call me again whenever you want." They stood, and Papyrus stood with them. "WILL YOU ANSWER MY CALL NEXT TIME?" Frisk shook their head, "no. Just leave me a message." He didn't really understand their reason for doing that, but he decided to not question them. He smile reproachfully. "WELL... SEE YOU LATER!!" Frisk nodded, "yeah... see ya."

They walked away, and Papyrus didn't see them to the barrier this time. He picked up the plate and fork and made his way back to the house. He felt a little lighter now. He hadn't had someone to just... talk to in a long time. This was nice. Even if he did wish that he didn't have to sneak around for them to hang out.

He entered the house, passing by Sans on his way to the kitchen to return the dishes. Sans was still working. A new idea occurred to him. Maybe there actually wasn't that much paperwork and Sans was just slow? There couldn't possibly be that much work. It would make more sense if that's what was really going on.

After washing the dishes in the sink, Papyrus sunk into the chair by the fireplace. "hey," Sans chirped. Papyrus hummed lightly in response.

Sans turned his head slightly to look at him from the corner of his eye. "you missed dinner. what were you doing all this time?" Papyrus blinked, nervous thoughts suddenly festering in his mind. Did Sans suspect...? No. Sans didn't know anything. He had to be cool; he didn't need Sans learning about Frisk. "I DIDN'T MISS DINNER! I BROUGHT SOME SPAGHETTI WITH ME TO THE GARDEN!" He gestured to the kitchen. "I WAS JUST TRYING TO RELAX, THAT'S ALL."

Sans snorted, returning to his typing. "and how'd that turn out?" Papyrus grinned, "RATHER WELL, ACTUALLY!" Sans paused again. "yeah?" He swiveled around in his chair. "y'know.... um.. i've been super busy. i'm sorry i haven't been around much. 'm getting kinda lonely not getting to hang out with ya as much anymore, heh." Papyrus raised an eyebrow, "WELL IF YOU DIDN'T SLEEP SO MUCH, MAYBE YOU'D HAVE TIME FOR OTHER THINGS!" Sans chuckled softly, "but i like sleeping."

"YOU LIKE SLEEPING MORE THAT YOU LIKE ME?" Papyrus gave his best mock-sad face he could muster. Sans scoffed, "what? no way bro. you're like, way cooler than sleeping." Papyrus grinned victoriously, sitting up in his chair. "THEN YOU CAN MANAGE TO STAY AWAKE LONG ENOUGH TO READ ME STORIES AGAIN! IT'S NOT SO MUCH TO ASK YOU KNOW!"

Sans looked away, smiling to himself. "you want me to read to you again..? yeah... i guess..." He smirked, winking at Papyrus. "You still like children's books?" Papyrus leaned excitedly over the armrest. "OF COURSE I DO!" "heh heh, i don't know why i bother asking."

\---

Papyrus loved his down time now.

He still worried a lot- of course- so he spent most of his free time venting to Frisk, telling them about the things he was upset about. Frisk gave surprisingly good advice. Were they royalty on the surface or something? They often had to pause for a while to consider their advice, but whenever they spoke, their ideas were very helpful. It made him feel like if he had them as an advisor, he could be an even greater King. He always felt better by the time the human left.

Whenever he called Frisk and waited for their arrival, he would water the flowers. It gave him a reason to wait in the garden, and it made him happy to see the flowers slowly become reinvigorated.

One day, Frisk offered to help him with gardening. "Papyrus, plants need more than just water, you know." Frisk had said with an amused grin. They stood across the garden from him, their hands on their hips. Papyrus shrugged, lifting the watering can up. "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GARDENING!" Frisk rolled their eyes, giggling. "Here, I'll help."

They walked over to him, grabbing the watering can out of his hands. "I'm sure they've had enough to drink, you practically water them everyday now." Papyrus blinked in confusion. "BUT EVERYONE NEEDS TO DRINK SOME WATER EVERYDAY! I THOUGHT PLANTS WOULD BE THE SAME?" Frisk waved a hand in a so-so motion. "It depends on the plant. Some can drown if they get too much water." Papyrus blinked in realization. "OH! I SEE! BUT... WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO HELP THEM?"

Frisk hummed, looking away for a moment as they thought about it. "...Asgore's gardening supplies are in his shed. I'm sure we'll find what we need in there." They casually started off down the path towards the house. Papyrus jerked fearfully, hastily stepping in front of them. He put his hands on their shoulders to stop them. Frisk blinked up at him blankly.

"YOU CAN'T GO TO THE HOUSE! SANS IS THERE! HE COULD SEE YOU!" Frisk huffed, placing the watering can on the ground as they frowned up at him. The human crossed their arms. "Well you're not gonna know what tools to bring. I gotta show you."

Frisk tried to shove him off, but Papyrus stubbornly continued to hold onto them. "I WON'T LET YOU ENDANGER YOURSELF FOR GARDENING TOOLS!" Frisk rolled their eyes, but their wide eyes were amused now. He tilted his head in confusion.

"I'm not risking anything, I've survived the entire Underground already, haven't I? Plus, I'm endangering myself for the flowers. Not the tools." They grinned with a giggle. They crouched out of his grasp and stepped around him. Papyrus anxiously rushed to their side.

"ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW WHERE THE SHED IS?" He asked nervously as they entered into the Judgement Hall. "Yes. It isn't even in the house, so it's not a big deal." They replied, eyes drifting shut. They seemed relaxed. How could they be relaxed, they were willingly walking straight into danger! He decided to ask them.

They chuckled dryly. "Well, I got you here to protect me. Don't I, Papyrus?" He nodded hastily, "OF COURSE YOU DO!" They smiled kindly up at him. "Then I've got nothing to worry about."

He sighed, but didn't try to stop them anymore. The journey towards the house was quiet- and for Papyrus, it was filled with tension. He was scared for his small human companion, wanting nothing more than to swoop them up and bring them back to the safety of the garden.

He shook his head. He trusted that they could handle themself. Plus, what was he even worried about? Sans had agreed with him that they would judge humans fairly. Sans had been relatively friendly with the human after they got better, too. He supposed he could trust Sans not to hurt Frisk.

The stairs that lead to the house were in sight now, and Papyrus gulped nervously. What if someone came down here and saw them? All his rationalization had suddenly disappeared and his nerves returned.

"SO, WHERE'S THE SHED SUPPOSED TO BE?" Frisk took a second to reply, "over here." They rushed ahead, and there was a space under the stairs that Papyrus had never really thought to go under. There was a door against the back wall.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS HERE?" He asked incredulously. Frisk hesitated. "I found it. When I came through here the first time." He took their word for it, but he had come through many times by now, and he had never found it. Maybe they were just more observant. They pushed open the door- it was unlocked. Asgore liked to leave things unlocked, it seemed.

The room was small, but there was a surprising amount of gardening tools lining the walls. The room was crowded, and Papyrus felt cramped when he shuffled inside. How did Asgore ever fit in here? "I'll hand you everything we need. Then we'll just keep all this stuff in the garden." Frisk called as they handed him a shovel.

Slowly the amount of tools in Papyrus' arms accumulated, and he struggled to balance everything in his grasp. "UH... ISN'T THIS ENOUGH?" He called into the shed, watching as Frisk mumbled to themself. They ignored his question.

"Why would we even need something like that...? Uhg fine, fine..." They stepped towards him distractedly, holding out a small spade.

He bent down in hopes of merely placing it on top of all the others, but a few noisily slipped out of his arms, clanking loudly against the ground. He froze nervously, waiting with bated breath. Sans wouldn't care enough to come check on the commotion, would he?

Frisk sighed, clearly not worried at all as they picked up all the fallen items from the ground. The human held them up for him to take again. "There aren't many more we need," they said encouragingly, "at least.... I don't think there are." They finished with a grumble.

"SHH!" Papyrus hissed, not taking the tools from them. He paused straining to hear.

Footsteps. Were those footsteps?

"bro?"

Papyrus flinched. He knew this would happen. He nudged Frisk deeper into the shed with his foot, and they complied, their expression hardening. It seems they finally felt like taking this seriously. "Just stay calm." They murmured, moving into the darkness of the shed as he stepped out and shut it.

"SANS?" Papyrus replied, as he could now see his brother climbing down the stairs. "where are you?" Sans called, looking around in confusion.

"UNDER HERE!" Papyrus announced, slipping out from under the stairs. Sans blinked in surprise at his sudden appearance. He seemed tired, his eyes drooping tiredly. He rubbed at an eye socket. "what are you doing under there?" Papyrus gestured to the tools in his arms. "TURNS OUT ASGORE HAS A SHED UNDER THE STAIRS! AND SINCE I'VE BEEN GOING TO THE GARDEN SO MUCH TO RELAX, I DECIDED TO TRY FIXING IT UP! THE FLOWERS NEED HELP TOO!"

Sans smiled fondly at him. "oh, okay. don't go biting off more than you can chew though, bro." He grinned in amusement at the assortment of items in Papyrus grasp. "you got enough stuff, there?" Papyrus shrugged with a smile, "I DON'T KNOW! I WANT TO TRY EVERYTHING OUT!"

Sans chuckled, "yeah, i guess you would. i'd like to help, but i'm totally exhausted. i think i might go to sleep early today." Papyrus nodded, trying to keep his smile from appearing stiff. "THAT'S OKAY, BROTHER! YOU DESERVE A REST AFTER ALL YOUR HARD WORK!"

Sans grinned smugly. "i never thought i'd hear you say something like that." Papyrus found himself let out a short laugh. "ME NEITHER. YOU'RE USUALLY SO LAZY, NYEH HEH!" Sans waved, "well, i'm going to bed. see ya." "GOODNIGHT, SANS." The smaller skeleton started up the steps. Papyrus wasted no time slinking back under the stairs.

He pried open the shed, finding Frisk with much more tools collected in their arms than before. "Okay, we got everything." Papyrus waited for Sans to be sufficiently far away enough before letting out a large sigh. "PHEW! I'M GLAD SANS DIDN'T TRY TO LOOK IN THE SHED!" He paused. "WHY WERE YOU STILL PICKING STUFF UP? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HIDING! WHAT IF YOU DROPPED SOMETHING AND HE GOT SUSPICIOUS?" Frisk shrugged, not giving him a proper answer. Papyrus decided to let them be. "WELL... IT WENT OKAY ANYWAY. LET'S GET AWAY FROM HERE."

The two stumbled back to the garden. Papyrus gasped in relief as he dropped all his tools onto the tiled floor. Frisk hesitated, before grinning cheekily with wide mischievous eyes, and promptly dropped all the tools in their arms as well. Papyrus tilted his head at them when they started snickering.

They glanced up at him, and immediately stopped. "So... do you wanna get started?"

He smiled hesitantly, "SURE. BUT I REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GARDENING." Frisk waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I'll teach ya." They got down on their knees beside the flower bed. They shot a smirk at him. "You gotta be willing to get dirty, though." He grinned competitively, kneeling down beside them. "I'M NOT SCARED OF ANY OLD DIRT! NYEH HEH HEH! NOW WHERE DO WE START?"

Frisk surprisingly knew a lot about yard work. Gardening together with them was a lot of fun.

Over time, the flowers became much less crunchy, and gradually began to look golden again. After a while they even felt soft to the touch. He was proud of himself. With Frisks help, he could manage being the ruler _and_ keep these plants alive! He was glad to have them as a friend.

He still didn't have a new plan for escape, but he was getting there. One step at a time.

Even though Sans was still overworked and rarely had time to hang out with him, Sans started foregoing sleep just to hang out with him again. Sans was exhausted most of the time as a result though. He was definitely not used to working hard and staying awake for so many hours of the day. But he also seemed... happy, despite it.

Sans found the time to read him bedtime stories again, and thus Papyrus found it easier to sleep. He needed a good night's rest to deal with kingly concerns.

...Like hideous amalgamate monsters being discovered in the royal scientists lab.

\---

The new scientists had discovered a much larger laboratory hidden underneath the regular one. It harboured the terrifying results of Alphys' determination experiments. The royal scientists had contacted him hysterically, begging for his help. Papyrus ventured down to Hotland to see them in person. Sans insisted that he come along as well.

The True Lab was was rather expansive. Much larger than he would have expected. He was surprised to find that it seemed rather abandoned. There were lights that flickered, and many lights that barely worked. There were messes that nobody had bothered to clean up, and everything smelt stale. It sort of reminded him of Asgores children's room. But that didn't make sense, seeing as there were so many monsters that apparently lived down here. How could it be in such terrible condition?

Sans didn't seem surprised at all. As he eyed the place, there was apprehension in his eyes, but not curiosity. Maybe he had been here before? Papyrus didn't think Sans had known Alphys, though.

The scientists ushered them into a room filled with beds, and before them was the group of amalgamates all grouped up in a line. "Here they are, your majesty. They were rather, um, aggressive when we first found them, but it turns out that they were just hungry..." The lead royal scientist said shyly, gesturing for the group of amalgamates to step forwards. "Now they're quite docile."

"OH WOW..." Papyrus couldn't help but gape at them in shock. Sans gasped softly at Papyrus' side. There were so many of them, and while they were all rather scary, they didn't do much more than stand together quietly, staring at him with whatever eyes they still had.

"this must be why she was always so... " Sans trailed off. "hey, bro?" "HM?" "i'm gonna go take a look around. t' see if alphys left any notes about these things. yeah?" Papyrus nodded, not taking his eyes off of the amalgamates. Sans strolled off, hands in his pockets and his pace leisurely. Papyrus didn't bother wondering how he could look so calm.

Papyrus approached the first one in the line, a large, amorphous dog-like creature that sported a gaping, dripping hole instead of a face. "DOGS...?"

"Yes," one of the royal scientists replied, "they seem to be, uh, rather friendly." Papyrus lifted his hand up to them, and they quickly pressed their head against his palm, asking wordlessly to be pet. He complied for a moment, making them drool happily.

Upon lifting his hand away, a bit of wet goop stuck to his glove. "OOPS! SORRY!" He attempted to rub the goop back onto the dogs, "HERE'S YOU HEAD BACK!" The dogs let out a soft, happy snort. "NYEH HEH! WHAT A NICE LITTLE... UM... GROUP OF DOGS!" They bounced excitedly at being praised, wagging their tail happily.

He smiled, approaching the next amalgamate. His smile dropped. This one seemed... much less happy. She looked mostly like a snowdrake, and she was very weak. The amalgamate miserably peered up at him, barely able to even stand. "Sno.... wy...." She mumbled softly. The tall, lanky amalgamate that stood next to her reached out with a spindly arm and petted her gently on the head. She calmed slightly, but still she looked upset.

Papyrus considered her words. "SNOWY... LIKE SNOWDIN? OR... OH!" Papyrus knelt down to her height. "THAT SNOWDRAKE KID! SNOWY!" The amalgamate stared at him, her eyes going wide. "Sno... wy...?" He nodded, "YES! I REMEMBER HIM! DID YOU KNOW HIM?" The amalgamate seemed to be in awe. "Snowy.... Snowy...!"

She attempted to flutter her wings, but she only managed to splatter goop onto the floor. The royal scientists shuffled away nervously. "They must be the missing monsters that Dr. Alphys wouldn't talk about," one said. The others nodded.

Papyrus stood back, looking over them all again. "I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM. WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE THEM IN HERE." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE CARE OF THEM?" One scientist immediately shook their head, "n-no thanks!" they replied hastily. The others nodded in unison.

"papyrus!" Sans rushed up to the group (at a pace Papyrus could consider to be 'speed-walking'). "WHAT IS IT, SANS?" Sans huffed tiredly, holding a bunch of papers out for Papyrus to see. "it's alphys' notes."

Papyrus took them, skimming through all the entries. "WELL, IT SEEMS THAT THEY TRULY AREN'T DANGEROUS AT ALL." Sans frowned as best he could, reading a few papers that he failed to hand to Papyrus.

Papyrus blinked at them. "SANS, WHAT DO THOSE ONES SAY?" Sans shoved the papers into his pockets, "nothing. nothing to do with these fellas." He grinned, but Papyrus could see that he was upset. Why was he refusing to let Papyrus read them?

Papyrus sighed, returning his attention to the task at hand. "ALRIGHT. WELL, UM..." He turned to the scientists. "I THINK WE SHOULD SEND THEM ALL BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES. THEY'VE BEEN STUCK HERE FOR FAR TOO LONG!" The scientists nodded stiffly. "Right!" "Of course!" "We'll seek out their families as quickly as we can!"

Papyrus watched over the situation with the amalgamates for a while, making sure they all got properly settled back into society. Sadly some of their families were missing, and thus they had nowhere to go. Papyrus was most disappointed to hear that Snowy was one of the missing monsters, but the Snowdrake amalgamate still had a husband to return to. Papyrus felt bad about bringing her hopes up about the boy.

Luckily, the public seemed to view the new amalgamate monsters as good news, celebrating their return and assisting them as they reintegrated themselves back into the community. Papyrus was at least relieved to see that the amalgamates made some of the people feel optimistic again. It appeared that any kind of good news was enough to help some of them get back on their feet. Everything was slowly getting better.

Not to mention that the small pieces of help that Frisk was providing made bigger differences than the human probably realized. Even though he still missed Undyne, there were more important things at stake here. He had Frisk, and for now that would have to do.

He was the ruler of the underground, and his people needed his guidance. He needed to be a bigger person... and well, that was easier with friends around. He could do this!

\---

On one particular day, Frisk was sitting in the flowers, sniffing them and smiling. "They've gotten so much better," they said, praising their joined efforts, "golden flowers sure are beautiful, aren't they?" Papyrus nodded, "I SUPPOSE. I JUST THINK THAT THEY SHOULDN'T STARVE JUST BECAUSE KING ASGORE LEFT. AFTER ALL, WHEN HE... UH... COMES BACK, I'M SURE HE WOULDN'T WANT THEM TO ALL BE DEAD!"

Frisk smiled wryly and didn't say anything. They two sat together in a tense silence, before Papyrus eyed the flower in their hair again. It seemed to always be the same flower tucked behind their ear. But it had been a few weeks by now, it should have wilted at least a little.

"IS THAT THE SAME FLOWER YOU'RE WEARING EVERY DAY?" Frisk nodded, "it's very important. It means a lot to me... I like having it with me at all times." Papyrus hummed, "WHY'S THAT?"

Frisk shrugged, "it's hard to explain..." They furrowed their brow. "It was the first thing I saw after leaving the barrier. It was kinda like a reminder of this place." Frisk played with the flowers that they were sitting in. "But it was also proof that I was free... I guess..." They shut their eyes tiredly. Papyrus nodded, "THAT MAKES SENSE." For some reason he felt like there was something else there that they didn't want to tell him.

Papyrus continued watering the flowers, mulling over something else to say. He looked at Frisk as they sat in the garden. They had wet mud on their overalls, but they didn't seem to mind. Kids didn't ever seem to care about messes.

He hummed to himself. "WHAT IS THE SURFACE LIKE, FRISK?" Frisk jumped, surprised at his loud voice. Had they dozed off?

They laughed lightly. "It's, uhm... it's nice. Things are very different up there." Papyrus turned to them excitedly, putting down his watering can. "YES? LIKE WHAT?" Frisk shrugged, rubbing their arm. "Well... the sky, for one thing." They smiled weakly at him, "day and night would take you some getting used to. Weather, would too."

Papyrus nodded, giving them his full attention, "YES, I'VE HEARD OF THAT! HOW FASCINATING! DO HUMANS DO THINGS THAT WE DON'T DO?" Frisks eyes went wide, and they looked away. "They kill each other, for one..." They mumbled angrily. "WHAT?" He wasn't sure he had heard that right.

Frisk shook their head, squinting up at him again. "I, uh... I guess, since there's more space on the surface we drive cars... and stuff? I've never really seen a car down here." Papyrus was too excited at the mention of cars to notice the hesitance in their voice. He jumped excitedly. "YES!!! I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DRIVE! THAT'S WHY I KEPT MY CAR BED!"

Frisk laughed, their expression loosening with relief. "You kept it?" Papyrus stooped down to their level, ruffling their hair. "OF COURSE! I'D NEVER LEAVE SUCH A COOL BED BEHIND!" Frisk seemed oddly contented by this. They smiled up at him with wide eyes. He stood away, returning to his task of watering the flowers. He was almost done.

"You'll get to see the surface, Papyrus." The skeleton paused, peering back at them. They grinned, determination in their crimson eyes. "I know you will," they finished softly. Papyrus wasn't sure what to say for a moment, before he found a smile slipping onto his face.

"I'M GLAD YOU HAVE SO MUCH FAITH IN ME!" he laughed, "NYEH HEH HEH! YES, I WILL FREE EVERYONE!!!" Frisk sat silently. They didn't reply.

\---

A week later, Papyrus visited Snowdin. He hadn't gone back there as much as he planned to since becoming king, as he had mainly focused on visiting Waterfall and the Capital. He didn't go to Hotland much either, but that was for a different reason of course.

He was sure that the monsters in Snowdin were doing fine, though. They always stuck it out through even the toughest of times, so he didn't think they really needed his attention. But he was starting to feel homesick, so he took the boat to Snowdin for the first time in quite a while.

The few monsters that were out and about waved at him, and a few came up to him to say hello when he passed by. The warm welcome initially made him think that Snowdin was faring much better than the other areas of the Underground, just like he suspected- but upon looking more closely, it was clear that he was wrong. Very little was getting done; nobody was working.

The Ice Wolf wasn't throwing giant ice cubes into the water to cool the down the Core. Most monsters were locked away in their houses, not answering the door when he knocked. The Library was closed, and while Grillby's was open, he wasn't exactly interested in going inside. The Inn and General Store were both locked up. Papyrus huffed. He had talked to the two sisters only a month ago, and they had already given up? They had seemed so encouraged back then, too...

Papyrus crossed his arms, guilt tightening at his throat. Maybe he should have balanced his focus a bit better. How was he going to set up a Pasta Kitchen here if barely anyone even answered the door?

He had been avoiding it, but he found himself approaching his old house, frowning at it. It was dark inside, and it looked distinctly lifeless. He had taken the skeleton flag from the roof to bring it to New Home with them, and the colourful fairy-lights had been turned off. He didn't like seeing the house like that. It was like they had abandoned it.

He stepped up to it, peering into the window. It was so dark that he could barely see anything. There wasn't much to see anyway, even if he could. All of the furniture had been taken away. He sighed. There weren't really any population issues anymore (thanks to all the disappearances), but it still felt like a waste for his home to have nobody living in it.

He considered going inside, but he changed his mind. He reluctantly visited Grillby's instead. Maybe Grillby would be willing to give out free spaghetti for the cause?

He entered the warm building, and blinked in surprise. There were a bunch of fire monsters that he recognized from Hotland working as waiters, serving the few exhausted patrons. Half the customers were eating spaghetti, the other half merely drinking alcohol and eating the usual gross, greasy food.

Huh. Apparently Snowdin already had a Pasta Kitchen. Maybe things weren't quite so bad here.

Papyrus stood up straighter when he felt a few eyes fall on him. He smiled, waving at everyone as he walked up to the bar. Grillby peered quietly at him, cleaning a glass absentmindedly. He seemed surprised to see him, putting down the glass. The fire monster tilted his head in question.

"OH, NO I DON'T WANT ANYTHING." Papyrus waved a hand. "I'M JUST VISITING TO SEE HOW EVERYTHING'S GOING!" Grillby nodded complacently, returning to his task.

Papyrus sat on a bar stool, turning his attention away from Grillby and scanning the restaurant. The monsters weren't watching him anymore, and were now quietly mumbling among themselves. Everyone looked disheartened, even the few monsters that were clearly drunk were just more miserable instead of blissfully unaware.

Grillby's was rather full, but the absence of the dogs made it seem empty. His soul clenched painfully. He shook his head, willing the thought away. He had promised Frisk that he'd put their old ways behind him, for their sake. He forgave them for what they did. He  _did._

The short, usually drunk bunny stepped up to Papyrus, sitting on the bar stool next to his. She was drunk again; he wasn't surprised at all. "Heyyy King Papyrus. How's bein' king turnin' out fer ya?" She grinned, but it ended up looking like a grimace.

"...FINE." He supplied halfheartedly. The rabbit turned to Grillby. "Another!" She demanded, pounding a fist on the bar. Grillby nodded silently, getting her another drink. She grabbed it from his hand and downed half of it immediately. Papyrus sighed, crossing his arms across the counter.

"NOBODY'S HERE IS WORKING." Papyrus said quietly, "NOBODY'S DOING ANYTHING." The bunny burst out laughing. "Well duhhh!" She quickly stopped laughing, her mood suddenly going sour.

She threw her hands into the air with a groan, losing her balance for a moment. Papyrus stopped her from falling over by putting a steadying hand on her back. She seemed to have not even noticed him helping her."What's the point of workin' if we're all jus' gonna die buried in this god forsaken hole no matter what we do?" Papyrus gaped at her. Grillby passed her another drink. "Thanks Grillbz... you're a lifesaver." She snickered into it as she lifted the glass to her mouth. Papyrus couldn't believe it. Did she even hear what she was saying?

"JUST SITTING AROUND DOING NOTHING IS WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP US STUCK HERE!" He argued. The bunny sighed, leaning over the bar counter in exhaustion. "It took decades to get all those human souls. Now all our bravest, strongest monsters are gone and all the souls disappeared." She laid her head on the counter. "Hahaha... except you're still here, huh?"

Papyrus nodded, a tad uncomfortable by the miserable look in her eyes. She was smiling, but... she still looked defeated. "YES... I AM." She chuckled, shaking her head. "We're never going to get out of here..."

Papyrus was inclined to protest, but she shifted out of the stood and sauntered off to sit in an empty booth without another word to him. Papyrus frowned worriedly, eyeing Grillby nervously. The fire monster shrugged helplessly. He reached out and patted Papyrus shoulder kindly before turning his attention to another patron.

Papyrus crossed his arms, leaning on the counter. It wasn't right. Why was everyone being so defeatist about this? They just had to figure out a different way to leave. He had people working on that. If everyone would just stop giving up, then maybe things would go easier. All this extra stress was unnecessary.

He stood, and decided to make a early departure from Snowdin. He had wanted to set up some volunteer projects here, but Grillby apparently already had him covered. Not to mention that he just... didn't like seeing how different the atmosphere was. Everyone used to be so hopeful. Why did they have to all give up like this?

He instead spent his day taking the long way home, traveling through Waterfall and Hotland on his way to the Capital. He hoped it would help brighten his mood a little.

Waterfall was unnervingly quiet nowadays. The echo flowers were silent. That is, until they started mimicking the sound of his feet rustling through the grass. He had always hated the echo flowers, finding them and their mindless noises creepy. But he decided that he hated their silence even more.

Papyrus entered the small neighbourhood area and peered down the path that lead to Undyne's house. He hesitated, not sure if he should check... He ended up stepping up to the fish-shaped building anyway, noting the distinct lack of the dummy that she always used. He knocked on the door, even though the lights were dark.

He waited nervously, hoping dearly that she would come to the door. Maybe she had gotten home by now and had just forgotten to call him. Maybe she was just... tired. From all the fun she had on her vacation. She probably had a lot of stories to tell him about it...

He knocked again anxiously, and when once again there was no reply, he stomped his foot. "URG... UNDYNE..." he huffed childishly, "WHERE DID YOU GO..." He felt a sneaking suspicion flutter into his mind, but he immediately squashed it. Undyne was fine. She just hadn't come home yet. It was stupid of him to hope that she'd be here.

His knocking seemed to attract the attention of someone else, however. A dummy floated up to him, an intense glare on their face. "What do you think you're doing here buddy!? Can't you see that nobody's home?!" the dummy shouted angrily at him. Papyrus blinked in surprise; a ghost had possessed it? He cleared his throat. "I WAS JUST CHECKING." Mad Dummy growled, "well Undyne isn't here! So GO AWAY!"

They turned around with a huff and floated off, trembling with rage. Papyrus curiously followed them, watching as they entered the house next to Undyne's. He had heard from Undyne that a very quiet and shy ghost lived there. Was that them? They didn't really fit the description. He grinned to himself. That mad dummy seemed upset. Maybe he could cheer them up!

He stepped up to the house and knocked, but the door creaked open due to the force of his second knock. It was unlocked? He peered inside. The house was a mess as far as he could see. It was barren of furniture, but it still managed to be messy. Sans would like it.

Mad Dummy had been in the middle of ranting about something, but they paused at Papyrus' appearance. Mad Dummy had been speaking to a ghost, who seemed to be tearing up anxiously. Was that ghost the one Undyne had mentioned? "UH... HELLO THERE!" Papyrus called with a smile, pushing the door open farther. He waved at the two cheerfully.

"oh......" the teary-eyed ghost seemed so shocked at his arrival that they faded away. Papyrus blinked in surprise. "WHA..?"

Mad Dummy growled, "ARGH! Now look at what you've done!" They shot forward, almost screaming in Papyrus' face, "you scared Blooky! What do you think you're DOING barging into people's houses like this!?!" Papyrus raised his hands disarmingly. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO! THE DOOR JUST CAME OPEN WHEN I KNOCKED!!"

"AAAHG! Excuses! EXCUSES! GO AWAY!!!" Mad Dummy seethed in anger, their big bulging eyes staring him down with a look that could kill. Strangely, he couldn't help but smile. Their rage was refreshing; he hadn't interacted with someone so passionate about anything in a very long time.

"I LIKE YOU! YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THAT GHOST! WHAT WAS THEIR NAME AGAIN?" Papyrus asked cheerily. Mad Dummy hesitated, pausing in surprise. They were clearly not expecting Papyrus to respond so positively. They collected themself and growled, "Napstablook."

Papyrus gasped in realization, "OH, YES! OF COURSE, I'VE HEARD ABOUT NAPSTABLOOK!"

A voice rung out from nowhere, "you have....?" Mad Dummy jumped in shock as Napstablook appeared beside them. Mad Dummy blinked, surprised that they revealed themself. "Blooky!"

The ghost peered wearily up at Papyrus, tears in their eyes. "you knew that intimidating fish lady, right...?" Their voice was even softer than Sans', which Papyrus didn't even think could be possible. He smiled widely at them. "YEP! UNDYNE WAS TRAINING ME SO I COULD JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD!"

Napstablook smiled cautiously, "i've overheard your visits sometimes.... oh, well, don't think that i was trying to eavesdrop..! it's just that... you're quite loud..." Papyrus laughed, "OH! I HOPE I DIDN'T BOTHER YOU!!" Mad Dummy shoved themself into his vision. "You DID!! I couldn't stand all that racket you two made!" They rattled around angrily. Napstablook wordlessly watched. Their gaze dropped to the ground. "if you would like to come in for a bit.... that'd be okay..... but you know... you don't have to......"

Mad Dummy gasped, "WHAT!? This is OUTRAGEOUS!!!" Napstablook faded slightly, tearing up. "oh..... sorry...." they mumbled. Mad Dummy's fury faded, concern flashing over their face. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry Blooky... uh... " They turned to Papyrus hesitantly.

The dummy seemed to be putting a lot of effort into not exploding in anger again as they smiled forcefully Papyrus. "Yeah. Um. Would you. like. to come in?" They spoke through clenched teeth.

Papyrus passed by Mad Dummy, stepping into the messy house with a smile. "I'D LOVE TO HANG OUT FOR A WHILE!!" He looked around the small single roomed home, Napstablook hesitantly following him inside. Maybe they'd let him clean up the place a little?

"it's not much..... um..." Napstablook floated up to his side. "i only have ghost food, so...." Papyrus waved a hand, "OH IT'S ALRIGHT, MY FRIEND! I'M NOT HUNGRY!" "oh... ok......" Napstablook faded slightly, flustered. Mad Dummy frowned angrily. Papyrus decided that he liked the both of them quite a lot already. Such personalities!

Papyrus stood in the center of the house, his hands on his hips. He had a plan already forming in his head. "HEY... WOULD YOU MIND IF I CLEANED UP A BIT?" Papyrus turned, grinning excitedly at the two. Mad Dummy shut the door. "Oh yeah, I'm sure Blooky would love having you messing with their stuff," they growled sarcastically.

Napstablook hovered over to their computer, ignoring Mad Dummy's words. "you can if you'd like... that's very kind of you.... i'm sorry that it's such a mess..." Mad Dummy hovered over to Papyrus and landed on the ground with a loud thump. They grumbled angrily at Napstablook disagreeing with their opinion again.

"OH, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! MY BROTHER IS MUCH WORSE OF A SLOB, THIS'LL BE SUPER EASY TO CLEAN UP!"

Papyrus started to get to work, happily cleaning up the trash laying around the house and throwing it away. Napstablook watched, surprised by his kindness. "thanks.... i've been feeling like such garbage lately... i haven't felt well enough to bother to clean up after myself......." Mad Dummy hissed at them, whispering something about not being so open with a stranger.

Papyrus didn't mind Mad Dummy's distrust. As he collected randomly dropped CD cases, he focused his attention solely on the soft-spoken ghost. "THAT'S TERRIBLE! ARE YOU SAD FOR THE SAME REASONS AS EVERYONE ELSE?" Napstablook shifted uncomfortably, "yeah, i guess..... i um... i miss mettaton a lot....." Papyrus paused, turning to the ghost. They teared up, looking down at the ground.

"OH... YES, METTATON WAS A REALLY INSPIRING PERSON. HE HELPED US STAY MOTIVATED! I REALLY ADMIRED HIM. ...YOU MUST'VE BEEN A BIG FAN OF HIM TOO, HUH?" Papyrus sat the CDs on the computer desk, and Napstablook faded slightly. "yeah.... he made my life exciting..." Papyrus frowned sadly. "WELL... UM..."

Mad Dummy sighed, floating over to the ghost to try to console them. "Blooky doesn't know many people," they said, "Mettaton was, uh, important to them."

Napstablook nodded. "except for them," they gestured to Mad Dummy, "my whole family left me behind because i didn't want to possess anything.. now my only hope... is gone...." They threatened to fade away, they were so ashamed of their tears. But Mad Dummy's anger flared up. "HEY! Don't you go leaving me alone in here with this guy! Calm down! You can cry later!"

Napstablook only cried harder, but they stopped fading. Mad Dummy clearly wasn't very good at comfort. Papyrus thought about what happened to the poor ghost. He couldn't imagine ever leaving Sans behind for any reason, let alone a reason like that. What a careless family they had! He had to find a way to make them feel better...

Papyrus remembered the CDs and spotted headphones on the computer desk. 'AH HAH!' he thought, 'I KNOW HOW TO DISTRACT THEM!' He cleared his throat, gaining the ghosts attention. They blinked up at him tearfully. "SO... DO YOU LIKE MUSIC? YOU SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF IT!"

Napstablook brightened, a small smile stretching across their face. "y... yeah. i do.... i like writing spooky music...." Papyrus cheered to himself internally. Napstablook was feeling better already!

"WOWIE! CAN YOU SHOW ME SOME WHILE I CLEAN UP?" The ghost nodded, their tears drying. "sure.... the songs are all kinda old though.... i haven't made any new ones in a long time...." Papyrus saw Mad Dummy shoot him an apprehensive look. But they didn't need Napstablook crying again, so they nodded at him. Papyrus grinned. "I'M SURE THE SONGS ARE GREAT! LET'S HEAR 'EM!"

\---

A haunting tune floated through the area as Napstablook left their house for the first time in a solid month to show Papyrus their snail farm. "and this... is thundersnail. It's a little game meant to increase excitement around the farm.... but the snails haven't raced in a long time.... they're probably too busy with other things to bother racing for you..... sorry..." They trailed off, embarrassed by how boring the farm must appear to him.

But instead of being disappointed, Papyrus only smiled encouragingly. "THAT'S ALL RIGHT! WHAT A CREATIVE IDEA!" Napstablook flushed, "it... wasn't my idea.... heh..." They smiled at the praise anyway. Papyrus peered across at the two ghosts, noting the lack of anger in Mad Dummy's face. The two of them seemed to have warmed up to him considerably.

Papyrus suddenly realized how long he had been here. He was supposed to be home by now! He smiled sadly at Napstablook. "I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT I THINK I HAVE TO GET GOING." He scratched at the back of his skull, "MAYBE I COULD COME AND VISIT AGAIN SOME TIME?" Napstablook looked away sadly. They were silent for a while, before they nodded. "you can... if you really want to..... you don't have to, though...."

Papyrus grinned, turning his attention to Mad Dummy. The dummy looked away, frowning. "Well. I suppose you can come back." They eyed him for a moment, and growled at the grin on Papyrus' face. "But don't think you're welcome to come back all the time!" ..Maybe they didn't quite like him yet.

Papyrus laughed, smiling at the two of them. "THIS WAS FUN! I'LL SEE YOU LATER!" He started off, and as he walked away he heard Napstablook's soft voice reply, "yeah.. see you...." He turned to wave, but the ghost had disappeared, leaving only Mad Dummy to glare angrily at him. They gestured for him to leave. He nodded amiably, and continued on his way.

Papyrus' mood was brighter as he made a quick trip through Hotland, checking up on the Royal Scientists and their theories. They informed him that they were still reviewing Alphys' work, so they didn't have much to report. 'OH WELL,' he thought, 'NOT THE BEST DAY, BUT I MADE SOME NEW FRIENDS! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL FRISK HEARS ABOUT THEM!'

He pulled out his phone, calling up the human. His spirits were higher now than when he left Snowdin, and he was very excited to tell Frisk about the ghosts. The phone went to voicemail. "COME SEE ME TODAY, FRISK!" He paused, considering whether there was anything else he should add. "SEE YOU THEN!" He hung up. They would show up; and he didn't want to spoil anything on the phone!

He rushed home, hoping to be in the garden before Frisk showed up. He didn't want them getting bored and leaving before he got there. He entered the house noisily in his haste, letting out a, "HELLO SANS!" without really thinking.

He paused dead in his tracks at the sight of a very startled monster standing in the middle of the living room. They took a deep breath, calming themself as a grin spread across their face. "O-oh, hello King Papyrus! You're finally back!"


	4. Light Blue Soul

Papyrus blinked incredulously. He hadn't been expecting any visitors. "OH, UM... HELLO! WHAT IS IT?" He recognised the monster; they were one of the members of the Capitals Pasta Kitchens. They always seemed to be forcing themself to be happy, a smile always hiding the lamentation underneath. But now they smiled at him with an ease that unnerved him. They bounced excitedly on the balls of their feet. They moved towards him with a bounce in their step. "A human! A human is in the underground!"

Oh. Oh no.

Frisk didn't get caught, did they?

He fought against the tightening in his chest and forced out the word, "WHERE?" The monster tilted their head in confusion, before laughing lightly. "In the Ruins, of course! A human fell down, and the spiders in the Ruins informed us of their presence! It was only half an hour ago, but by now I'm sure everyone in the underground knows about it!"

Papyrus was relieved that it wasn't Frisk they had found, but this new human was in over their head. He had to help them! The monster standing before him seemed to have different ideas. "We can start collecting human souls again!" They announced happily, "I'm sure once you defeat them, everyone will be in much higher spirits!"

Papyrus laughed awkwardly, "NYEH.... HEH.... WHY DO I HAVE TO DEFEAT THEM?" The monster deflated slightly. They looked away, "well... with so many of our strongest monsters gone, the human will probably be able to make their way here, to the castle," they grinned at him, faith and adoration in their eyes, "but I'm sure we can rely on you to take their soul!"

Papyrus took a deep breath to calm his nerves, but he could already feel panic attempting to take over. He struggled to keep his hands from shaking. "W- WELL I THANK YOU FOR INFORMING ME ABOUT THE HUMAN! NOW, UH... NOW YOU MUST BE OFF! I HAVE TO... PREPARE! FOR THEIR ARRIVAL!"

He rushed up to the monster, wrapping an arm around their shoulders and pushing them towards the door. They stumbled away from his grasp and laughed. "Woah! Okay! I'm going, I'm going! You'll do great, King Papyrus!" He nodded hastily, opening the front door. "THANK YOU, THANK YOU! NOW GO, UH, I'M SURE YOU'RE VERY BUSY TOO!!!" They opened their mouth to reply, but he had already shut the door in their face.

Papyrus clenched his fists nervously, racing into the dining room. "SANS!" He called, peeking into the kitchen. Sans was nowhere in sight. He rushed to Sans' bedroom, finding it empty. "SANS! THIS IS IMPORTANT!" He even peeked into his own room and the storage room, but Sans was no where to be found. Papyrus groaned in annoyance. Why did that lazybones have to go out at a time like this!?

He decided to check the garden for Frisk. He hated to cut their hang out short, but this was very important, and he didn't want Frisk hanging around in a dangerous place without him there to protect them. He rushed to the front room and started to descend the stairs; when suddenly he noticed something very out of place.

Two red eyes were peering up at him from the bottom step.

"AAH! FRISK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!" He jumped down the entire flight of stairs, landing before the small human and kneeling down to put a hand on their shoulder. "GET OUT OF HERE! SOMEONE COULD SHOW UP! THEY COULD TRY TO KILL YOU!" Frisk blinked silently at him. They didn't reply.

Papyrus shook them anxiously. This was not the time for the silent treatment! "FRISK! YOU NEED TO LEAVE!" The human jerked slightly, as if suddenly realizing that he was there.

They narrowed their eyes, pondering something. "I heard what that monster said. I'm worried for that human that fell down." They shrugged their shoulder away from Papyrus' hand, stepping away from him. "I'm not the one who needs to leave; you do too. You need to go to the Ruins and save them."

Papyrus stood, shifting nervously. He tried very hard to keep from stomping his foot. His body was shot with nerves. "WAIT IN THE BARRIER ROOM FOR ME. DON'T LET ANYBODY SEE YOU." He didn't wait for a reply, before whirling around and dashing up the stairs. Frisk was right, he had to get to the Ruins as quickly as possible. He didn't want anybody to get hurt.

He rushed through the Capital and Hotland as quickly as he could. The monsters that he passed by waved at him, grins on all their faces and hope in their eyes. They all knew of the human already. He didn't want to break their dreams now that everyone finally felt hopeful again, but this wasn't something he wanted them to believe in. Papyrus didn't want to see them excited about murder. It was wrong, and if he was going to be king, then he would make sure things went right. They were supposed to find another way!

He knew he could never run as quickly as Undyne, but he wasn't slow either. He paused, panting with his hands on his knees as he stood before the River Person. They watched him blankly as he tried to catch his breath. "HUFF.... HUFF.... I NEED... TO GET.... TO SNOWDIN..!" They nodded slowly. "Then off we go..."

He stumbled onto the boat, collapsing onto his knees as the boat gently took off. The slow pace made him antsy, but he knew it would be faster than running through Waterfall. He just hoped it would be fast enough.

Papyrus slowly caught his breath. He found himself tuning out the River Person's casual small talk. He would be able to save the human. Nobody would be able to beat him to them; nobody strong enough to hurt them, at least. He tried to force a grin on his face, but staying positive at a time like this wasn't easy. He just had to... stay determined.

"Tra la la. The waters are wild today. That's bad luck..."

Papyrus was not in the mood to hear about bad luck. The boat trickled down the waters calmly, the relaxed mood contrasting sharply with the pounding in Papyrus' skull. It felt like he was going to explode if he didn't get to Snowdin right that very moment. His hands were shaking in his lap as he tried to steady his beating soul.

The boat slowed, docking against the snowy riverside of Snowdin. The River Person turned to him. "Come back again some time. Tra la la..." Papyrus stood shakily, taking a deep breath. He stepped out of the boat. "T- THANK YOU," he said with a weak smile. The river person nodded, before turning their attention away.

Papyrus started to run again, but was quickly stopped in his tracks by a crowd of monsters. The townspeople of Snowdin were drawn to him, crowing around him excitedly.

"Papyrus! We heard about the human! Are you here to take their soul?" A short mouse monster asked. The innkeeper's son bounced up and down energetically, "go get 'em!" He tried to step around them, and they seemed to notice his struggle. The monsters moved out of the way, happily cheering. "Go get that human!" "We know you can do it!" "King Papyrus!" "Take their soul!"

Papyrus froze, deeply disturbed. Only a few hours ago, all these monsters were unable to leave their own houses they were so demotivated. And now... they were energetic, and were happily encouraging him. He started to push through the crowd, thoroughly encouraged- but only to get far away from here as quickly as possible.

How could they? Monsters were supposed to be good... they were supposed to be better than this!

He broke through the crowd, stumbling away from them as he dashed away towards Snowdin Forest. He wasn't sure if the monsters were following him, but if they were, their pace was too slow to keep up. The cheers faded into the background as he crossed the bridge into the forest. The only sound was his boots crunching in the snow and his own heavy breathing.

He would make it. The human would be okay. There weren't any sentries around to hurt them anymore, and Frisk had gotten through the Ruins rather unscathed. The human would be fine, and he'd just have to grab them, bring them to the castle, and escort them to the barrier. This would be nothing more than a brief inconvenience for them. Maybe a bit confusing, too.

The trees were getting thicker, and in the distance he could spot the tall, bare trees that surrounded the path to the Ruins. He was getting closer. He passed by his old sentry station. He wanted to stop and smile at the memories of building it, but there were more important things at hand. Papyrus almost slipped on the ice as he passed over to Sans' station but he steadied himself, pausing in the snow for a moment. he tried to calm his nerves.

He was exhausted. But Undyne would be proud. Getting around the Underground in such a short amount of time was definitely not an easy feat. It took Frisk an entire day. It took him less than an hour. He laughed weakly through his heavy breaths. Surely nobody could've gotten here before him.

He started off again, walking as quickly as his tired legs would let him. The path to the Ruins was isolated and silent, and as Papyrus drew closer to the doors, he spotted a small person standing impassively in the snow. The human!

He jogged closer, realizing that it was only Sans.

Oh! So this was where Sans had disappeared to. Was Sans here to protect the human too?

The smaller skeleton was standing with his back to Papyrus, watching the doors. He was clearly waiting for the human to emerge, like the lazybones that he was. Papyrus intended to bash down the doors if he had to. He approached his brother, a heaviness in his chest lifting. He was relieved. The two of them could easily keep the human safe.

It was then that Papyrus realized that something was wrong.

He stopped a few meters away from his brother, noticing a heavy smell in the air. It wasn't a familiar smell. He blinked, noticing a bright colour in the snow. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open. The snow was splattered with something red. There was a person lying in the snow. There lay the human- collapsed in the snow before Sans' slippered feet.

Papyrus took a few shaky steps closer, and he could see a small number of shining red bones protruding from the human's chest. They were face-down in the blood-stained snow, and they weren't moving.

He was... he was too late, wasn't he? Someone had killed the human already. Surely it hadn't been... Sans didn't... The bones didn't mean anything...

"SANS...?" Papyrus called out, and his brother flinched suddenly; spinning around with wide eyes so full of fear that it shook Papyrus all the way down to his soul. Sans was never scared.

Papyrus gasped, eyeing the rest of him. Sans' hands were red, and in his trembling bony fingers he held a shimmering light blue human soul, hovering innocently and illuminating Sans' face.

Papyrus couldn't believe what he was seeing. He blinked over and over, this must be a... a dream. Or- or maybe they were just joking! Yeah, the red was just ketchup, a- and the human had summoned their soul for Sans to hold, so that when Papyrus showed up, they could... give him a good scare...

Sans wouldn't kill anyone...

But Papyrus couldn't deny that smell in the air. It wasn't the smell of ketchup. He hesitantly took a step back.

"papyrus- bro, i- i can explain! please don't hate me!" Sans held one of his red-covered hands out, his arm trembling so violently that it looked like it was threatening to fall off. "please, just listen to me..." Papyrus made no signs of fleeing, so Sans lowered his arm and took a deep breath.

"i killed the human-" "NO!" Sans flinched again, the lights in his eyes shrinking to pinpricks. His hands shrunk back against his chest, holding the soul as if it would protect him. Papyrus stomped his foot in denial, his hands clenched into trembling fists. "THEY'RE NOT DEAD! THEY CAN'T BE DEAD!"

Sans cautiously held the soul out. It shimmered coldly in his hands. "they... they are. but listen." He stepped closer to Papyrus. In turn, Papyrus took another step back.

His eyes fell upon the fallen humans body. Did humans turn to dust? Could the human still be saved if he returned their soul to them?

Sans' voice brought his attention back to him. "i'm going to use the human's soul to pass through the barrier. you only need one to get through." Sans spoke slowly, afraid of another outburst. "on the surface i can get six more. i'll use all seven to break the barrier. it'll only take a few hours at most- and then everyone will be free. this can all end today... i can end this today." There was a pleading look in Sans' eye sockets.

Papyrus narrowed his eyes, standing up tall. "AND THAT... IS THE REASON THAT YOU TOOK THIS HUMAN'S LIFE?" Sans nodded. "bro, please understand... it's the only way-" "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, SANS!" Papyrus stomped up to Sans, making the small skeleton smile nervously up at him. "bro..?"

Papyrus angrily grasped the human's soul away from his brother's hands; and before Sans could realize what was happening, Papyrus pressed the soul to his ribs. It sunk through, and he felt as it was absorbed into his being. Sans gaped at him, mortified.

"papyrus! what are you doing!" He lurched forwards as if making to grasp the soul back, but Papyrus turned Sans' soul blue and held him down. Sans choked in surprise at the rough treatment, falling to the ground. Sans stared up at him fearfully.

Papyrus was seething. Besides the new rush of power that the soul bestowed upon him, a sudden swell of anger and fear burst forth from the soul, wordlessly begging him to fight back, defend himself, and stay away from Sans. The soul ached for him to do something. He shook the souls feelings away.

He bent over his brothers collapsed form, his hands on his hips. "I TRUSTED YOU! OF ALL MONSTERS; YOU WERE THE ONE THAT CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF JUDGING THE HUMANS FAIRLY IN THE FIRST PLACE!!" He stepped back, freeing his brother from the blue magic. "...DID YOU EVEN SPEAK TO THE HUMAN BEFORE HEARTLESSLY MURDERING THEM?"

Sans' bones rattled as he shook from his place in the snow, unable to stand. He was so scared. he wasn't scared of being hurt, but of being hated. "bro, please, i... i didn't want to hurt them, i- i-" He was cut off by the sound of cheering in the distance. Papyrus turned towards the noise. The Snowdin monsters had arrived.

Papyrus frowned. He didn't want them to get involved.

He turned back to face his brother. "I'M DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, SANS. BUT IF THIS IS THE ROUTE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE... THEN FINE!!" Papyrus crossed his arms. He wanted to pick up the human's body but he couldn't stand to look at it as mangled as it was. He didn't take any steps toward it.

The Snowdin monsters were in earshot now. They paused in their celebration to listen to their Kings' words. "I WILL BE THE ONE TO CROSS THE BARRIER. I WILL GO TO THE SURFACE AND COLLECT THE SIX SOULS THAT WE NEED." Sans hastily moved to stand. "what!? bro, do you even realize what you're saying!?" He clambered to his feet and reached out to grab Papyrus' arm, but his hand was smacked away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Papyrus shouted, disgusted at the blood on his brother's fingers. Sans recoiled away, devastation washing over his face.

For a moment everything was still, until the Snowdin monsters burst into movement, rushing to crowd around Papyrus, cheering loudly in excitement at the prospect of imminent freedom. They attempted to lift Papyrus into the air and onto their shoulders but he struggled against them, trying to keep his feet on the ground. "LET GO! LET GO OF ME!"

They put him down and he shoved his way out of the crowd. Papyrus fled, feeling the soul reinvigorate his energy. The crowds cheered after him as he left, misinterpreting his flight as him running off to free them. Like a true hero. In reality, he had no idea where he was running off to.

He didn't even give his brother a second look. So he didn't notice the broken look on his brother's face as he left.

Papyrus completely forgot about grabbing the human's body before leaving. He paused at his cardboard sentry station, turning to look back at where he came. He didn't like the thought of leaving them there to freeze in the cold. But he also wasn't a fan of going back there. He didn't want to face Sans again. He could only hope that Sans would do the right thing and properly take care of the humans body. That is, if it didn't turn to dust first.

He found himself jogging back to Snowdin, his mind detached from the movements of his body. He felt almost numb. This had not gone at all like how he had planned it. At least the human's soul was safe with him. He hadn't been able to save the humans life, but their soul would not be misused. At least... at least he could do that for them.

When he reached the River Person, he was only half aware as he told them to take him back to Hotland. He sat in the boat, staring down into the murky waters.

What was he supposed to do now? Go home and... wait for Sans to show up? Frisk would undoubtedly be waiting for him, but he wasn't sure if they could cheer him up this time. He should just tell them to leave. Maybe he should just lock himself up in his room for a while. nobody would question his absence if they thought he was on the surface.

Papyrus didn't want to think it, but... perhaps it would be better if Frisk didn't risk their life by coming into the underground anymore. Sans lived with him in New Home, after all. If Sans found out about Frisk, he would undoubtedly hurt them... but he had been friends with Frisk, right?

No... Sans had proven whose side he was on. Papyrus thought he could trust his brother to uphold what he believed in, but clearly Sans trusted his own judgement more. Frisk shouldn't visit anymore. Even if it hurt Papyrus dearly to say goodbye to them, he had to keep them safe. He had to protect them. If he couldn't protect this human, he could try to at least protect Frisk.

"Come back again some time. Tra la la..." Papyrus jumped, at the River Persons voice, startled. "O-OH, YES! OF COURSE! THANK YOU!" He stood, stumbling out of the boat as quickly as he could. He jogged to the elevators and took the quickest one to the Core. It was quiet as it rose. He arrived at the MTT Resort, but he was lost in his own thoughts as he stepped out, trying to calm himself down.

He had taken the soul, and he had even said that he'd leave the underground with it. But should he really do that? Would the surface hold more opportunities for breaking the barrier? If he wasn't going to hurt any humans, what would going onto the surface accomplish?

Since there was no Mettaton around to run the hotel, it had been shut down. Nobody was willing to run it properly, so while it had to stay open for people to pass through, the restaurant and the rooms were unavailable. The lights had been shut off, so the place was dark and dreary. Papyrus had never bothered to get it started up again.

As Papyrus passed through the lobby, he spotted a few monsters that seemed to stick around the place anyway. Two monster girls- a cat and an alligator- were filing their nails together in the corner; they were clearly loitering, but with nobody to ask them to leave, they went unchallenged. He wasn't in the mood to usher them out.

He also spotted the Snowdrake Amalgamate and her husband, the two of them resting together next to the elevator. They both seemed upset, miserably confiding in each other for comfort. Papyrus knew why. It had nothing to do with the humans or the state of their freedom.

Parents mourning their only child...

Papyrus wondered if the human had had any family. Even with their soul safe, there was no way they'd ever get to return home again.

He passed through the hotel without garnering any attention. The Core was powered down to prevent it from overheating. The Ice Wolf really shouldn't have stopped working. He peered around the darkness as he stepped into the main elevator. He hoped the elevator would work. He wasn't really in the mood for the Cores' puzzles. His life was becoming enough of a puzzle on its own. The elevator worked, taking him to New Home rather quickly.

After arriving at the house, Papyrus cautiously pried the front door open, nervously looking around. Nothing out of the ordinary. He stepped inside, shutting and locking the door behind himself. He never locked the door, but... he felt safer now with it locked. It seemed that Sans had not gotten home before him. That was good, as he didn't need Sans following him to the garden, where Frisk would surely be waiting.

He jumped down the staircase and quickly rushed along the pathway to the barrier. He didn't know if he was going to go to the surface, but he would make sure that Frisk did. He didn't want them to be down here anymore. He didn't want to need to say goodbye to them, but this wasn't about him. Frisk needed to stay safe. The underground wasn't safe.

He stumbled into the Judgement Hall, and in the distance he could hear the birds singing happily. He tried to ignore how disturbed the sound made him feel right now.

"Papyrus?"

He stopped.

A small, black silhouette stood before him. Waiting for him. He stared at the human for a long moment, unable to erase the image of them- collapsed on the floor, bleeding and motionless- from his mind. His soul twisted painfully in his chest. He shook his head.

"FRISK!" He hurried up to them, kneeling before their small form. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT OF THE GARDEN!" The light from the windows illuminated the side of their face as he inspected it. He held their chin, tilting their head around in search for injury.

With his vision gone, he realized that they were completely healthy. He let out a deep breath, shutting his eyes and resting his hand on their cheek. "THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE ALRIGHT..." A small, gentle hand rested over his, holding it comfortingly.

He opened his eyes, watching as Frisk furrowed their brows, looking over him worriedly. "What happened? Are you okay?"

He sighed, dreading this conversation. "LET'S NOT TALK HERE." Before they could react he lifted them up into his arms, and they yelped in surprise. They grasped onto his cape, their arms wound tightly around his neck. He carried them into the garden, letting them down into the flowerbed.

"What happened with the human, Papyrus? Where.... where are they?" Frisk asked as he sat down across from them, realization already in their voice as they asked the question.

Papyrus looked away, not sure what to say. How could he tell them that he failed? That he couldn't save the human? He didn't want to say anything.

His silence spoke wonders. Frisk deflated sadly, eyes downcast. "Oh... Papyrus, I'm sorry... where's their... their soul? Is it safe?" He looked at them for a while, before quietly summoning the soul from his chest. It floated in his hands, a gentle blue aura lighting up Frisks face. They stared at it.

"SANS... GOT THERE BEFORE ME." Frisk frowned and crossed their arms. "So... Sans killed them. I guess without her... he had no reason to protect a new human..." Papyrus raised an eyebrow, "WITHOUT WHO?" Frisk shook their head, "It's... nothing. How'd you get the soul from him?" Papyrus shrugged helplessly, reabsorbing the soul. He felt calmer now, in Frisks presence. He could think more clearly.

"I... I TOLD THE SNOWDIN MONSTERS THAT I'D USE THE SOUL TO CROSS THE BARRIER... TO, WELL, YOU KNOW..." He scratched his arm awkwardly, not wanting to continue. "BUT I CAN'T DO THAT! I COULDN'T...."

Frisk leaned forwards, grabbing Papyrus' hands. "Sure you can. I'll help you. I can guide you around the surface! We can break the barrier together!" They smiled kindly at him, their crimson eyes strangely comforting. He found himself smiling back. Maybe the surface would supply him with more ways to break the barrier. Maybe he'd find a way to do it without getting anyone else hurt. But even then, there was a lot that could go wrong.

"I DON'T KNOW..." Frisk leaned away from him, their hands buried in the flowers. "We won't fail. I promise."

Papyrus didn't like to make quick decisions. He prefered to think things through and make sure he was ready. He hadn't packed for any kind of journey; He had no food, no change of clothes, he hadn't even said goodbye to anyone! He couldn't just... leave right now. Could he?

Frisk tugged on his hands, standing insistently. "Come with me. We'll definitely break the barrier much faster this way. I won't let you end up like Asgore. No more waiting around. We need to take matters into our own hands."

Papyrus stared helplessly at them. "BUT.... NOW? I CAN'T JUST LEAVE OUT OF NOWHERE!" Frisk tugged more demandingly. "Sure you can! You already told them that you'd do this. Nobody will worry about where you went." Papyrus slowly stood, even as he still protested. "BUT... SANS..."

Frisk pulled his hand, and he stepped after them anyway. They guided him to the barrier room. The barrier stretched out before him, infinite and impassable. With this one human soul he could just... walk right through it? As if it had never been there at all?

"Sans knows you're here, right?" "I SUPPOSE..." he replied with a nod. Frisk grasped his hand tightly. "Then he'll be fine." They stepped closer to the barrier, and he followed.

"...FRISK?"

The human stepped into the barrier, and it shone brightly against them. he could barely see their face as the light backlighted them. "Yes?"

Papyrus stepped after them, finding that, for some reason, the barrier didn't feel any different than the rest of the room. The soul made it so he couldn't even feel it. "YOU'LL STAY WITH ME, RIGHT?"

Frisk paused, peering up at him, trying to meet his eyes. He could barely see them through the light. They looked away. "Yeah... We'll free everyone. Together." Their voice was soft.

The two stepped further into the barrier. As they passed through it, the glow slowly faded away. He could sort of feel the power of the barrier surrounding him, but he couldn't see it anymore.

The two of them entered an empty room, with a small beam of light illuminating a lonely patch of grass. The rest of the room was so dark that Papyrus could barely make anything out. Frisk paused. Papyrus stumbled over them for a moment. Why had they stopped?

Frisk stared at the grass for a moment. They were lost in thought, remembering something with a solemn look on their face. Frisk shook their head, their mind returning to the present. The human tugged on Papyrus' hand, pulling him towards a large door at the back of the room. It sort of looked like the door to the Ruins. he realized with a jolt what this was.

So, this was it. The exit from the Underground. Beyond that door was a world he could barely even imagine.

Could he really do this? He wasn't sure it was the best idea. He wanted to turn back.

Frisk could sense his hesitance, and they held his hand tighter. "Come on. It'll be alright." He gripped their hand back, his breath uneasy. "You can do this," they said gently. He held onto their words as the door drew closer.

He could feel the barrier pressing against him as he moved to shove the door open. The barrier was trying to keep him from leaving. As a result, the door was heavier than he expected. He shoved it with all he had, and the door finally swung open. Papyrus flinched at the sudden blinding light that burst forth from the outside.

"Come on. Follow me." Frisk pulled him outside as he rubbed his stinging eyes. He could feel as the barriers magic faded away completely.

He had passed through the barrier. So this was the...

He attempted to force his eyes open. "Welcome to the surface, Papyrus..." Frisks voice rung through his skull as he finally managed to pry open his eyes.

He gasped at the sight that stretched out before him. Frisk smiled from their spot at his side, adoration glimmering in their bright red eyes.

"I know you'll love it here."


	5. The Surface

It was more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. Papyrus stared in awe at the endless horizon, no walls in sight. The ceiling was so high up- no, there _was no ceiling._ The sky was endless, and it was bathed in the warm rays of the ball of light that sunk below the skyline. Everything was glowing, warm golden light feathered his bones and the fresh breeze that followed felt like a dream. Cool shadows stretched far across the valley below, dark and larger than he had ever seen before.

It immediately occurred to him that everything was  _free_ up here. There was openness here, and everything changed so often... and so quickly. Already the breeze was feeling cooler against him, and as he watched the few pink clouds drift across the sky he could tell that things were never still up here. 

...He had never seen something like this, and nothing he had seen on TV or in discarded human magazine's ever compared to _this._ He had never imagined that the surface would be _so bright_.

Frisk tugged on his hand, impatient and urging. He blinked out of his stupor, but he did not budge from his spot. He glanced at them for a moment before returning his attention to the sky.

"WHAT... WHAT IS THAT GIANT BALL?" he asked, and Frisks haste seemed to ebb away. They stopped pulling on his hand. Frisk stood calmly next to him, now merely gripping his hand solidly. They let themself stop for a moment as they too took in the view. "...we call it the sun," They said softly. The human looked up at it, squinting and shading their eyes with their free hand.

Ah, yes! Papyrus had heard of it. "OH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M MEETING THE SUN! IT'S EVEN PRETTIER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE!" Frisk nodded, grinning hesitantly. Their eyes flickered briefly up to his face. "You shouldn't be looking directly at it." They informed him with a small giggle. Papyrus ignored the warning, continuing to stare into its warm light. He felt a wide grin slide onto his features.

Despite knowing that all of monsterkind was still trapped away from this beautiful sight, and despite being here because of the death of an innocent human... the surface was immediately so _comforting_ and _warm_ , and _bright_ , that he felt... happy. The surface was all that he ever hoped it would be. For a moment, all his previous worries and doubts and anxieties... they just drifted away. He shut his eyes and sighed.

He then felt something in his head; a foreign presence in his mind that felt almost like another person. A voice whispered to him that while the surface wasn't perfect, it was a hell of a lot better than the dark, snowy cave that they had died in. Papyrus felt his elation slowly drain away.

The soul... he blinked his eyes open and peered down at his chest, spotting a soft blue glow emitting from under his clothes and between his ribs. The human soul. The human... was conscious?

 _'Yes_ -' the voice replied, almost muddled together with his own thoughts. it was difficult to discern. _I't appears that being absorbed gave me the ability to share my thoughts with you_.'

He was unnerved, but he tried to be kind and accepting of this strange new position the two of them were in. ' _I'LL TRY TO MAKE THIS SITUATION AS PLEASANT AS POSSIBLE, HUMAN! I'M GLAD THIS GIVES ME THE CHANCE TO APOLOGISE ON BEHALF OF MY BROTHER. HE... I WOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED ANYONE TO HURT YOU, HAD I BEEN THERE.'_ The voice was silent, but he felt relief waft from their vague presence in his mind. He was happy that they felt more at ease now. They could trust him.

Papyrus felt Frisk's hand squeeze his harder, and he peered down at them. They smiled gently, "are you ready to get going now? We've got a bit of walking to do." Papyrus grinned confidently. "I'M THE GREAT PAPYRUS; OF COURSE I'M READY! LEAD THE WAY!" Frisk nodded, they pulled him again and this time he followed. Once Frisk looked away from him, Papyrus let his confident grin fade into a worried frown.

It was a bit disconcerting to know that the dead human was in his head now, but he supposed it was a better fate for them than being completely gone. He shook the unsure expression from his face. Perhaps this new presence could help him get the hang of the surface even quicker than he would on his own! The human must know a lot about the surface!

Papyrus and Frisk followed a path that took them safely down the mountainside. After a little while, Frisk climbed a rock that lead away from the path. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING, FRISK? THE PATH LEADS THAT WAY!" Papyrus asked, pointing down towards the city that was visible in the distance. Frisk nodded, standing almost as tall as him now as they perched themself on the boulder. "I know. But if anyone saw you, they'd freak out. Also I'm just a kid, so I can't really get myself my own place in the city... So, I found a different place to stay. C'mon," they gestured for him to follow, and he did; he was a bit puzzled, but he found himself smiling.

What a smart kid! So good at strategy! And to think that they hated puzzles when he first met them. Maybe he _did_ make an impact on them after all.

The two stumbled over rocks and uneven terrain until they reached a small plateau in the dirt. Indented into the mountainside was a small opening. Frisk approached it, the apathetic look on their face breaking for a moment as they turned and grinned proudly at him. "A cave; just a small one though. We'll only have to stay here tonight. Tomorrow we'll be able to get some kind of place in the city. We'll just camp out here for now."

Papyrus hummed, "THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PLAN! CAMPING OUT UNDER THE STARS! ...STARS COME OUT AT NIGHT, RIGHT?" Before Frisk could reply, the human in his mind supplied him with a short little- ' _yes_.' Papyrus celebrated internally. He knew some things about the surface after all!

The skeleton approached Frisk's cave, sitting next to the human as they stared up at him. They had a fond look on their face. "I hope you don't consider this a dramatic downgrade from your palace?" He could tell from that look on their face that they already knew what his answer would be. Papyrus shook his head anyway.

"NOT AT ALL! JUST BREATHING IN THE FRESH AIR AND SEEING THE SKY IS ENOUGH OF AN UPGRADE ON ITS OWN!" He let his gaze rove over the sky again. It was just so _large_. Frisk seemed pleased at his reply.

They sat next to him, letting their eyes follow his, and they watched the sunset together in silence for a few moments. Papyrus felt his happiness return as a peacefulness washed over him. While there was a nagging voice in the back of his head (it was distinctly his own voice) that said 'relaxing was definitely not the right thing to be doing right now,' he found himself ignoring it for once.

Being King had been exhausting, and the arrival (and death) of the human had been unbelievably stressful. He deserved a reprieve. But... now that he had such a terrible job to do here on the surface, he wasn't sure he could even call the surface an escape from his responsibility.

For now though, he supposed there was nothing else for him to do. There was no point worrying right now; so for the moment he'd let himself enjoy this. He was happy to just be here with Frisk, and to see things he was secretly afraid he'd never get to see.

It was a long moment of silence before Frisk sighed. They scootched closer to Papyrus, huddling up to him. He wasn't particularly warm, but it was getting windy, and he probably provided some shelter. Papyrus happily wrapped a gentle arm around their shoulder.

"I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE, DESPITE EVERYTHING," he admitted. Frisk curled their arms around Papyrus' spine, lightly hugging him. "...Me too." Papyrus smiled, remembering how he had once feared this human. They were different now. They _weren't_ a killer anymore. They were just a tiny human child.

Frisk sighed hesitantly. "So. I'm going to have to leave you here alone for a few hours." Papyrus blinked. "WHAT?" The human pulled away so the two could look at each other. The sun was setting below the horizon, and it was getting chillier. The sky was turning a darker shade of blue now.

"Well my plan is... since you're an adult, if I can get you a good disguise, you could pretend to be my 'human' guardian. That way, you could get us a hotel room. So I'm gonna need to go get you that disguise. You need to stay here while I get it." Papyrus blinked again, "I SEE. WELL, WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING?" Frisk shrugged, "probably sooner rather than later. It's getting dark, and shops are going to start closing."

Frisk stood, and he shifted to his knees, "HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THERE? IT'S A BIT FAR. WALKING COULD TAKE YOU A WHILE." "Bus." "WHAT? WHAT'S THAT?" Frisk didn't reply, they were brushing dirt off their overalls and they were adjusting the flower in their hair. "FRISK?"

"I'll be back soon. Don't go to sleep though, you don't want to miss the stars." They ignored his questioning but their change of subject managed to distract him. "LIKE I'D SLEEP REGARDLESS! NYEH HEH HEH!" Frisk smiled warmly at him, "right. See you soon." They waved shortly, before clambering off to find the path again. He waved after them, even though they were already out of sight, "BE BACK SOON! I WANT TO WATCH THE STARS WITH YOU!" He heard their soft voice call back. "Right!"

He settled back into a seated position, his hands hugging his knees as shifted to look up at the quickly darkening sky. He felt the human soul stir within him, the cyan light flickering through his clothes. If Frisk took too long to return, at least he had _someone_ to watch the stars with.

He decided to try speaking to them. ' _WHAT'S A BUS?'_ He asked. The human replied- ' _it's a public vehicle; anyone can use it to get from place to place.'_ ' _A VEHICLE? LIKE A CAR?' 'Yes-'_ the voice said, sounding at ease- ' _it's like a long car... with lots of seats for passengers.'_ ' _THAT SOUNDS COOL!'_

As he waited for Frisk to return, he found himself asking the human questions about the surface. ' _WHAT'S THAT THING IN THE SKY? IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S MAKING ITS OWN CLOUDS! THAT'S PRETTY COOL!'_

 _It's a plane, it's basically a bus with wings_. ' _LIKE A BIG METAL BIRD!' 'S-sure. It can go much faster than a car or a bus, so people ride it to visit far away places_.' _'COOL!!! I WANT TO RIDE IN A PLANE!'_

 _'I_ _'ve ridden in one_ -' the soul said proudly- _'it was amazing to see how small everything looks from up there.'_ Papyrus felt like he could almost share their memory, but it floated away before he could grasp the emotions of it. ' _IT... SOUNDS LIKE FUN!'_

Papyrus found that the human was quite different from him, but not in a bad way. They were calm and reserved, never losing their patience with his questioning; and despite their situation, they seemed rather friendly and unbothered by the fact that they were technically dead. Papyrus thought that they were rather nice.

He sighed, saddened knowing that _Sans_ of all monsters had killed such a nice little human. He had been gaining a sense of pride in his older brothers efforts; Sans was putting so much work into helping him and was putting off so much sleep for him, too. Sans had never tried so hard before. But now... how could he be proud of a murderer?

It was a long while before Frisk returned. The sky was clear and the lack of light pollution on the mountain meant that the stars shone brightly. The vastness of space became increasingly apparent as the human in his head explained to him what stars actually were. It was amazing, and beautiful.

The stars twinkled in the darkness, and the new-moon glowed like a nightlight. He was used to darkness in the underground, but he certainly wasn't used to _this_. Waterfall couldn't compare.

He definitely thought the surface was worth living on. Now if only he had his friends here with him to experience it...

"Papyrus?" He heard a soft voice call out to him, and then he heard the rustling of plastic bags. "FRISK! YOU'RE BACK!" Frisk stumbled into view, grinning tiredly, "I got the stuff."

"NEVER MIND THAT! GET OVER HERE!!!" He waved for Frisk to join him, and with a soft laugh they happily sat next to him, dropping the bags of clothes. They cuddled up to him again; they were chilly now that the weather was even colder. He wrapped his arm around their shoulder again, pulling them to his side.

Papyrus pointed at the crescent moon with his free hand, "THE MOON IS MY FAVOURITE, FRISK! ISN'T IT PRETTY!?" Frisk nodded, resting their head on the side of his chest, shutting their eyes sleepily. Papyrus didn't notice their exhaustion, so he continued to go on about how pretty the sky was; and how the stars were much better than the wishing room in Waterfall.

At one point, he even excitedly pointed out a shooting star. "FRISK! A SHOOTING STAR! DID YOU SEE IT? THIS IS GREAT! MAKE A WISH! IT'S _SURE_ TO COME TRUE, SINCE THESE STARS ARE THE REAL DEAL!!" Frisk chuckled, not opening their eyes. "ok, I made one..." "ME TOO! I HOPE OUR WISHES COME TRUE!" Papyrus wished for the barrier to break, and for everyone to be happy. He wasn't sure how he'd make it come true, but he would find a way. He could do it. Somehow...

At some point, Frisk ended up falling asleep. Papyrus didn't mind. They were still there with him. Their presence was enough. He felt them shiver, so he hugged them closer to him, pulling them into his lap. They curled into him, Smiling distantly as they nuzzled his chest. His gaze lingered on their relaxed, sleeping face before it drifted back up to the stars.

He had no idea how to solve this puzzle. He had no clue. But, as far as he was concerned, puzzles were more fun when they were difficult. He'd find a way to free everyone without killing any humans. He'd show Sans that death wasn't necessary.

He'd even... he'd even see Undyne again. After all... she was just on vacation. Everything would be okay. Everyone would be happy. He looked back down at the human in his arms. Everyone was fine... Death wasn't necessary. And his wish could come true. Right? 

\---

Papyrus probably only got a few hours of sleep that night. He didn't sleep very much anyway, and the newness of the surface was too exciting for him to want to miss any of it. He stayed up very late, watching as the stars twinkled and the moon drifted across the sky. When he woke up, the sun had started rising. He was awakened by the light of dawn, the sky starting to fade back into a pale blue.

He found himself confused by it. He was in a shadow, and while the sky was lighting up the sun was nowhere in sight. He raised his head from the ground and peered around, noticing that behind the slope of Mt. Ebott, the sky was brighter. Why would the sun be over there now? He had watched it set in the complete opposite part of the sky!

He had been lying next to Frisk as the two of them slept, Frisk grasping onto his chest as they snoozed quietly. They hadn't bothered to go into the actual cave that night. He sat up, and Frisk reflexively curled up as he removed himself from them. As he put his hand on their shoulder to shake them awake, the human soul echoed in his mind again.

 _'Don't wake them_ -' they whispered- ' _I'll tell you about the sky. They need to sleep a lot more than you do.'_ Papyrus complied, shifting away and standing up to peer at the sky again. Why would the sky change so much throughout the day?

It was only half an hour later that Frisk awoke, shivering slightly. The wind threw their hair in their face as they sat up, rubbing their eyes. Papyrus grinned at them, "GOOD MORNING, FRISK! ARE YOU READY TO SET OFF FOR THE CITY?" Frisk nodded tiredly, pulling their flower from their hair to keep it from blowing away. "Soon... but we should eat breakfast first."

Papyrus tilted his head, and moved to sit in front of Frisk to block them from the wind. "BUT THERE'S NO KITCHEN! I CAN'T MAKE YOU SPAGHETTI OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!" Frisk combed their hair out of their face with their fingers, pulling out their cell phone. "I still have the spaghetti you gave me a few days ago. Y'know, the last time I visited you." Papyrus grinned widely. "OH GOODIE! WE'LL HAVE THAT, AND THEN WE'LL HEAD OFF!"

The spaghetti was cold, but Papyrus liked it anyway. Frisk smiled at him with a distant look in their eyes as he explained why cold spaghetti was sometimes just as good as cooked spaghetti.

After they ate, Frisk grabbed the disguise that they bought, pulling the clothes from the bags one by one. "There weren't many options for hiding your face, which is the most important part. But if you can pretend to be sick, this medical mask and these sunglasses could divert most people from suspecting anything." Papyrus eyed the disguise nervously as Frisk handed him a wig. "ARE YOU SURE THIS'LL WORK?" "No. But it's worth a shot. Most humans don't really care about other humans, even if they look weird. We ignore odd things pretty easily. You'll probably blend right in."

As he put on a warm-looking hat over his wig, Frisk handed him a puffy sweater. He grimaced in distaste, "THIS LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING SANS WOULD WEAR." "I know. He's where I got the idea from. It makes him look like he's got more on him than just bones, which is important for you to do." He begrudgingly put it on, switching it with his form-fitting armour.

After he was dressed, Papyrus decided that while it wasn't unbearable, it also wasn't very _cool looking._ He prefered his battle body, even though he hadn't worn it in a while. but Frisk insisted he wear heavy, thick clothes to hide his obvious lack of flesh. At least he was used to wearing gloves and scarves, otherwise he'd feel ridiculous. "DON'T I LOOK A LITTLE... TOO HEAVILY DRESSED FOR THIS WEATHER?" "Nah, it's fall. You'll just look like someone with a cold."

They grabbed his hand again and the two set off, following the path down the mountainside. They passed through a small forest, before eventually entering into a lush clearing. There was a road up ahead, and Papyrus gazed in silent awe as he watched a few stray cars drive by. He had never seen a car in person before, and he was grinning so widely that his cheekbones hurt, excited at seeing the vehicles go. They were making a lovely whirring noise with their wheels on the concrete, and he liked the novelty of it.

They approached the bus stop, which was nothing more than a bench next to a sign. As they sat down together, the shadow of Mt. Ebott receded away, the sun finally rising over it's peak. Papyrus watched it in wonder.

He felt Frisk gently press something into his hand. He peered down at it; 2G. He eyed them curiously. "Money. For the bus. Watch how I pay the bus driver, and then you do the same. Okay?" Papyrus nodded, "OKAY."

They waited for a while, the entire time Papyrus peered around, looking at the trees, Mt. Ebott, and the road. The trees rustled rhythmically in the wind, their orange leaves occasionally pulled from the branches. One leaf landed in his lap and he grabbed it, turning it around curiously in his palm. He had never seen a tree with leaves before- only ever knowing the evergreens and the bare ones of Snowdin forest.

 He was fascinated at how the trees shed their leaves. It was similar to how a certain dog would leave white fur around. He hadn't seen that dog in a while, actually. He almost kind of missed it.

"Here it comes," Frisk spoke softly, nodding their head at the upcoming vehicle. It was definitely bigger than cars were. As the bus pulled up to the stop, Frisk stood, grabbing Papyrus' hand again and pulling him to rise as well. After it stopped with a loud squeal, a human stepped off. Papyrus analyzed them, the human not even glancing at him as they walked off. Papyrus had only seen human children before; and this one was an adult. They were just as tall as him!

The two of them climbed aboard, Frisk dropping their Gold into a glass contraption set beside another adult human. So that was the bus driver. Papyrus tried not to stare at him as he followed Frisks lead, dropping his Gold in the box. The bus driver, like the other human, didn't even look twice at him.

The bus was rather empty, only a couple of humans seated at the back; two sitting together and mumbling quietly to each other. To counter this, Frisk sat near the front, and gestured for Papyrus to take the window seat. He did, and the bus started off. He stared out the window, awed at the environment as it passed. The ride was a tad bumpy, but he didn't complain. He had never been in an automobile like this, he was almost shaking with excitement. He had to put a lot of effort into not loudly announcing everything he saw.

The human in his head gave him the self-control he needed, as he gushed internally to them instead of needing to shout out loud to Frisk. They calmly answered all his internal squealing and questions with a grin in their voice.

They approached the outskirts of the city about twenty minutes later, and Papyrus was amazed at the huge buildings now that he could see how big they really were. They towered higher than the ceiling did in Snowdin, and he was now even more aware of how high up the sky was. _You know sky goes up forever_ \- the human voice chuckled at him. But Papyrus could hardly comprehend it. 

The amount of cars in the city was overwhelming. He could tell what model most of the cars were, but there were some he didn't recognize. He couldn't help the grin on his face at the sight of them. He wanted to drive so _badly_. Cars were _so_ _cool._

Eventually they came to a stop and Frisk moved to stand, Papyrus hastily jumping up to follow them. The two left, but as they passed by the driver, Papyrus couldn't help but say, "THANK YOU." He had said it at a rather mild volume for once, and the driver nodded to him, "you're welcome," the human replied, and Papyrus had to clench his hands to keep them from flailing around excitedly. He had spoken with a human! And he didn't even know that Papyrus was a skeleton! The plan was working and he was ecstatic. 

They stepped off the bus, and Papyrus' eyes went wide. There were a lot more humans walking along the sidewalks here than the bus stop, and he was blown away. He had only seen two humans in his life before coming to the surface, and seeing a whole _society_ of them was so odd. Frisk grabbed his hand again, leading him along quietly, and he fell into step beside them. Not even one human looked at him; most had their eyes downcast, either at their phones or just at the ground. 

He felt a bit like a spy, sneaking into human society seamlessly. Nobody had a clue that there was a skeleton walking among them. The human soul agreed with his mischievous thought process, and they filled him with a childish kind of exhilaration. 

 _'Nobody knows that there are two people in one body walking among them either-'_ the soul added with a grin in their tone. Papyrus grinned widely behind his mask, gripping Frisks hand tighter. They seemed to take his grip as nerves, as they said, "we're almost there, we just gotta find the right building."

They walked on, eventually making it past the crowds and the sidewalks cleared up. Frisk started speaking easily to him now, not worried about eavesdroppers. "How are you feeling?" 

"I FEEL GREAT! THIS IS ALL SO EXCITING! ARE YOU SEEING ALL THE CARS?" Frisk nodded, "yeah, there's a lot of people here." Papyrus hummed happily, he was feeling light, bouncing with every step. There was a fluttering in his ribcage. His soul was practically singing with elation. He felt the human soul shine in response, and the voice rapidly pointed out a bunch of things that they remembered- ' _that restaurant over there- I went there once! see that barber shop? I got my hair cut there! Oh look! That's my apartment building that I used to... live in...'_

The voice went silent, and the humans sorrow washed over him. While the emotion was not his own, his happiness dropped at the realization. The human didn't need to say anything. He knew why they were suddenly enraptured in solemnity. They may still be conscious, but they were still technically dead. They couldn't go back to their old life anymore. They were stuck with him.

' _...WE COULD GO VISIT THOSE PLACES FOR YOU, ONCE WE GET SETTLED IN?'_ He asked the human mentally, and they stayed silent for a few moments, before responding. _'I'd like that.'_

 _'YOU HAD A FAMILY, DIDN'T YOU?' 'Yes_ -' the soul replied- ' _I did. I wonder if they miss me.'_ Papyrus couldn't see a reason why they wouldn't. They must be dreadfully worried.

A heavy silence grew between them, but Frisk spoke up again, "we're almost to the hotel. I'm not sure if they have available rooms, but... I hope they do. Or else we'll need to go back to the cave, and that'll get us nowhere." Papyrus nodded. He didn't have much experience with hotels. The Inn in Snowdin wasn't of any use to him, so he never bothered to visit. He had never stayed at the MTT Resort either- he had always wanted to, but he lived so far away; plus there was patrolling and training to do. He just didn't have the time to go to Hotland.

Frisk had gotten a room there once, and had called him, offering that the two of them have a sleepover together. They had reasoned that they wanted to hang out with him one more time before they entered the core. He had told Sans about it as he was packing everything he needed (which, as it turns out, was a lot. You could never be too prepared), but Sans had refused to allow him to go.

Initially, Papyrus had felt indignant; he wasn't a child anymore and Sans couldn't order him around. He could take care of himself, and Frisk wasn't dangerous anymore. But Sans had insisted, and Papyrus reluctantly called Frisk back to tell them that he couldn't go.

It seemed that in the end, the sleepover was merely a tad delayed. This time though, Papyrus had a lot less stuff packed up. He had barely brought anything up to the surface with him. He sort of regretted not being prepared for this journey, but he trusted that Frisk knew what they were doing. They knew how the surface worked a lot better than he did.

"Here we are," Frisk said quietly, almost sounding nervous. They stopped in front of a large building, wide and relatively tall, with what looked to be about ten floors. It had a huge flashy sign displaying the Hotels name. He grinned up at it; it was a pretty big building, and it was an exciting prospect to stay in a hotel from the surface.

"I HOPE WE STAY ON THE TOP FLOOR! NYEH HEH HEH!!" He announced excitedly, and Frisk chuckled. "It depends on if there's room. Also if I can afford it..." "IF _WE_ CAN AFFORD IT! I MAY HAVE DECIDED TO TRAVEL LIGHT, BUT I DIDN'T FORGET TO BRING MY GOLD!" Frisk grinned, "oh, good. Then maybe it'll be fine... well, no use in just standing here. Let's go."

The doors opened automatically as they entered. They approached the front desk, Frisk letting go of Papyrus' hand as they tried to pull their head and shoulders over the counter. They were just barely too short to reach. Papyrus grabbed them under the armpits and hoisted them up into his arms like he usually would do with Sans. Frisk were _much_ heavier than his brother, but he could still carry them easily.

Frisk seemed at ease with his help, leaning forward in his grip to give the other human a serious look. They had their palms flat against the cool marble of the desk, trying to balance themself in Papyrus' grip. Frisk stared at the receptionist, who smiled curiously back. The lady seemed amused.

"What rooms ya got?" Frisk asked, and the woman put the back of her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. She appeared to think Frisk was rather cute. "Do you have a reservation, kiddo?"

"No." The lady checked her monitor, before returning her gaze to them. This time she looked at Papyrus, "We have a few rooms open, which floor would you prefer staying at? There's a room open on the 1st, 3rd,-" "THE HIGHEST FLOOR AVAILABLE!" Papyrus announced excitedly, and Frisk nodded in agreement. "Yeah, can we get the top floor?"

The lady giggled again, and peered at her computer. "Hmm, well floor 15 is all full, but there's a few rooms on 14?" She offered with a kind look, and Frisk nodded confidently. "We'll go with that." The woman typed for a while on her monitor, "It's $80 a night. How long will you be staying?" Frisk blinked, "oh, uh.." they peered into their pockets, counting their gold. "...I guess I have enough for... a while."

The lady grinned, amused, "that's not a solid answer, kiddo, I need numbers." Papyrus wasn't sure how long he was expected to stay here. How long would it take for them to find a way to break the barrier?

"Two weeks," Frisk announced, "we might stay longer, but that's a safe starting point." The ladies amusement fade, replaced by a surprised look. She gazed at Papyrus. "That's quite a while. Are you two moving here, by any chance?" Papyrus wasn't sure how to respond, but he nodded anyway, "YES." Frisk nodded, following suit, "yep, we need a place to stay until we can get a good home."

The lady smiled at Frisk, "well isn't that nice! Well, we'll be very happy to house you here until you can get a place to stay." She typed into her computer for a minute, and then she asked for their names and payment. Frisk handed her their gold, and she eyed it curiously, before shrugging and accepting it. Papyrus told her their names, and made up a fake last name for him and Frisk to share. He didn't have a last name; only the important monsters had those, and he didn't know what Frisks was.

"Here's your room key, sir!" The lady handed him a key, and he finally put Frisk back on the ground. Frisk peered over the counter, their eyebrows drawn down into a frown. "What about me? I should get a card too." "Oh," the lady replied, revealing a second key. "I'm sorry, sweetie, here you are." Frisk grabbed it and relaxed, ushering Papyrus to leave. "THANK YOU!" Papyrus said, and the lady waved at them as they hurried off.

"I'm glad that went okay. I was afraid if she looked at you for too long she'd see through the disguise. Thankfully she seemed too amused by me to notice." Papyrus nodded, relaxing his shoulders. "I WAS SO NERVOUS! I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO SAY! I'M GLAD THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, FRISK." Frisk nodded, "yeah, me too."

They got on the elevator, and upon reaching the 14th floor, they searched for their room. "Okay, uh... room 292. That must be... this way," Frisk guided them along; Papyrus wanted to rush ahead and lead, but he wasn't really sure where they were going. They passed by a window, and Papyrus hastily grabbed their shoulder to direct their attention towards it. "LOOK! LOOK HOW HIGH UP WE ARE!!!" The view was cut short by the many other tall buildings that were nearby, but Papyrus was extremely excited anyway.

Yes, the surface was definitely different from the underground. He could just keep climbing up, and with no ceiling, nothing could stop him! ' _Well-'_ the human soul spoke up- ' _space would be able to stop you pretty well.'_ ' _OH. RIGHT. BUT STILL!!'_

Frisk seemed restless as they pulled insistently on his hand, urging him to ignore the view and follow them. He refused, making them sigh. "Come _on_ Papyrus. We can look out our _room's_ window once we get there."

He finally complied, following them until they stopped at one of the many doors. "Here!" Frisk used the key card to unlock it. Struggling to push the heavy door open, they lead him inside before letting it swing closed behind him.

The room was smaller than Papyrus was expecting, but it was bigger than his bedroom back in Snowdin. It had two double beds against one wall, a TV with a couch across from it, a table with two chairs, a bathroom, and a small kitchen nook. "Huh, the kitchen was unexpected. Maybe the lady got us a better room because we're gonna be here a while." Frisk said, their voice mildly surprised. They took off their shoes and plopped down onto the nearest bed in a tired huff.

Papyrus stood by the closed door, feeling a bit nervous. Frisk glanced at him, "You can take off your disguise now." Papyrus blinked, and slowly removed his shoes. He stepped into the room cautiously. "THIS ROOM IS NICE, FRISK. BUT... NOW THAT WE'RE HERE, WE NEED TO DECIDE ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO." He took off the hat, sunglasses and wig, placing the items on the table. He massaged his skull, feeling stuffy, but relieved to have the articles off.

Frisk sighed, "but we just got here... we've got a place to stay on the surface now, and it's been _weeks_ since i've last slept in a bed." They rolled onto their stomach and crawled up to the pillows, stuffing their face in them. They let out a muffled groan of exhaustion.

Papyrus sighed, "IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY!! WHAT ARE WE EVEN SUPPOSED TO _DO_ IN HERE? WE CAN'T JUST SIT AROUND DOING NOTHING! WE SHOULD BE FIGURING OUT HOW TO BREAK THE BARRIER--  AND WITHOUT USING HUMAN SOULS!" Frisk raised their head from the pillow, their eyes scrunched into a confused glare. "The whole reason you're on the surface is _so you can collect human souls_. Did you forget?" Papyrus shook his head, "I TOLD THE MONSTERS THAT THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, BUT I REFUSE TO KILL ANYONE!"

Frisk blinked at him, "you lied?" The statement felt like an accusation. Papyrus recoiled guiltily. "IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THEM TO LET _ME_ COME HERE... AND NOT SOMEONE LIKE... SANS."

Frisk stared at him, seemingly deep in thought. Their eyes opened wide to get a better look at him, and he shivered. He didn't like it when they did that. After a short moment their eyes scrunched up again. "...I see," they rolled onto their back, staring up at the ceiling, "...I have no idea how else we can do this, though."

"THERE MUST BE A WAY!" Papyrus felt his hands clench, a fire burning deep within his soul that almost shocked him. The human soul resonated with it, filling him with some kind of... good power. _There must be a way..._

"...Okay. We'll try to figure something else out. But if there's nothing we can do, we'll have to go back to plan one." "...WE WON'T. I WON'T LET US." Frisk grinned at him, adoration in their eyes. "You're so cool..."

  
Papyrus laughed. "NYEH HEH HEH! I KNOW!"

\---

Papyrus lay in his new bed, unable to sleep. He and Frisk had stayed inside the room _all day_ despite his protests, Frisk claiming that they were tired and that going out wouldn't help them think up anything. They insisted on relaxing for now, and the two tried brainstorming different ideas, for what felt like hours.

"WHAT IF WE GOT SEVEN HUMAN MAGICIANS! WE COULD CONVINCE THEM TO OPEN THE BARRIER!"

"There are no magicians anymore; not real ones at least. Humans gave up magic a long time ago."

"WE COULD _TEACH_ SEVEN HUMANS HOW TO DO MAGIC, AND _THEN_ THEY COULD-!"

"But then we'd need to reveal you to them. They could kill you, or at least rat us out."

"BUT IT COULD WORK!"

"I don't even know what type of magic was used to make the barrier, do you really think teaching seven humans how to use _blue_ magic would do anything?"

"IT'S WORTH A TRY, RIGHT?"

"I don't know... i don't think it's worth the risks..."

It didn't take long for the sun to start setting, and Frisk had decided to drop the subject for tonight. They ate some of the leftover food in Frisks dimensional box for dinner, Papyrus feeling strangely full afterwards. Frisk plopped down on the TV and he followed, watching the human programs with mild interest.

His mind continued to race for the remainder of the night, unable to relax. He didn't know what to do. Seeing the human celebrities perform only reminded him of Mettaton, and he felt an ache in his soul. Mettaton would kill to be where Papyrus was... he almost did, actually. Papyrus glanced at Frisk, the child curled up against his side. Many monsters had already tried to kill Frisk to be here on the surface.

Eventually, Frisk yawned; they stood from the couch and opened their dimensional box, pulling out a change of clothes. Frisk changed in the bathroom and when they came back out, they had their flower held gently in their hands. They put the golden plant onto the side table in between the two beds, and they cuddled under their blankets. Papyrus hadn't bothered to move from the couch the entire time, he merely watched and waited for Frisk to fall asleep.

He had turned off the TV after a while of staring through it. Finally, despite his lack of exhaustion, he turned off the lights, removed his shirt, and slunk under the covers of his own bed. He wasn't much of a sleeper; he often only got four to six hours of sleep a night, if any at all. His insomnia kept him up more often than not. But that wasn't the reason for his awareness.

Through the walls he could hear cars rushing by. The sounds of planes and sirens easily screeched through the darkness. He had never lived anywhere so lively, even the castle had been empty and quiet during the artificial night time.

He peered over at Frisks bed, blinking his eyes at them through the dark. How could they get to sleep so easily at a time like this? ' _You'll find a way, Papyrus-'_ the soul said comfortingly- ' _just be patient.'_ He wasn't a patient person. The blue soul glowed softly, and a gentle wave of relaxation flowed through his mind. His nerves calmed considerably, and he took a deep breath. ' _I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, HUMAN. ALL I KNOW IS... IS THAT I CAN'T GIVE UP!' 'You never have before-'_ the soul replied knowingly- ' _and with me, you'll be more determined than ever. I'll give you all the strength that I can.'_

Papyrus laid there a while longer, before sitting up, and pushing the covers off of him. He could tell that the room was cold, but he wasn't bothered by it. He peered around the darkness restlessly. His mind was calmer now, but sleep still just wouldn't catch him.

He got up and quietly crept towards the window, prying the curtains open a tad and pulling a chair up against the wall. He leaned against the window sill as he looked down at all the humans that were still out and about. There were a lot of them, and it was weird to see so many humans everywhere.

Moving cars and colourful lights illuminated the ground below. He could hear the hustle of the city. The sky appeared to be pitch black, the stars hidden by the artificial lights. Disappointment flowed through him. It was his second night on the surface, and he wasn't even allowed to see the stars again. He blinked, spotting the moon half hidden behind a building. His eyes locked onto it, it's previously radiant moonlight reduced to a pale glow. It had too many other lights to contend with.

The human in his mind went silent, and he wondered if a soul needed to sleep. Either way, they didn't seem to bother to share their company with him anymore. He rested his jaw in his hand, and he felt his eyes get heavy. He watched the humans walk and drive around for a while longer, before he finally couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, and he dozed off.

\---

He wasn't asleep for very long however, as he was a light sleeper. And when a warm heat enveloped him- and following the heat was also a considerable amount of weight- he blinked his bleary eyes open. 

Frisk was looking drowsily back up at him from his lap; they had a blanket from their bed wrapped around their shoulders and they laid their legs across his lap. Their torso cuddled up against his bare chest. They appeared to be half asleep. Why had they woken up? It was probably because of the light that spilled into the room from the slip of open curtain.

"FRISK..?" he mumbled, and Frisk yawned in response. They wrapped their arms around his ribs, and the heat from their hands was almost searing against him. His lack of a shirt became very apparent. They were warm... and cozy. He wrapped his own arms around them, intent on absorbing their warmth. "Papyrus... why aren't you in bed..?" Frisk whispered tiredly, worry evident in their soft voice. "I COULDN'T SLEEP," he replied simply, snuggling his teeth against the top of their head. He was practically folding himself around them. They were like a warm little teddy bear!

"..." Frisk seemed to want to reply, but they remained silent. They shifted their gaze to the window, "...you shouldn't look out the window without your disguise on. Someone could look up and see you..." They hugged him tighter, their fingers slipping through his ribs to gain a better grip on them. "Be more careful...." Despite their chastisement, Papyrus could tell that they were already drifting back off to sleep. They sighed, and their head dipped down, their grip loosening on his ribs.

Papyrus was still sleepy, but now he wondered what to do with Frisk. Should he bring them back to their bed, or should he stay here with them? In hindsight, falling asleep in a chair was bound to result in something getting sore. He scolded himself for letting himself fall asleep here. He knew better than that!

Papyrus stood, carrying Frisk with one under their knees and one under their shoulders. Their head drooped forwards, chin resting against their chest and their cheek pressing heat into his ribs. He gently laid them under the covers of their bed, spreading the blankets over them. He pet their head affectionately.

Papyrus sighed; he really didn't know what he was doing here. He was happy to be on the surface with Frisk, but he had no idea how he was supposed to save the monsters. He hated to think it, but he wondered whether it really was hopeless. He didn't want to hurt anyone...

He moved towards his own bed, hoping that he'd be able to get to sleep this time, but before he could get very far, a warm touch gently wrapped around his hand. "Hey... don't. You should stay here... It'd be more like a sleepover that way..." Frisk mumbled up to him, and he blinked. They were still awake?

He didn't think much of it. He slunk under the covers to lay beside them easily, staring through the darkness at their drowsy face. They smiled at him sleepily. The human moved his hand up to their face and played with his fingers. He blushed slightly, embarrassed; he wasn't wearing his gloves, and he usually prefered to cover up his boney hands. They made him feel self conscious; they weren't warm or soft without gloves covering them.

Frisk yawned. "What do you think we should do tomorrow..?" They asked quietly, as if someone would be eavesdropping. Papyrus shrugged. "I DON'T KNOW. SHOULD WE KEEP THINKING UP IDEAS, OR..?" His own voice was mildly quiet, but he wasn't sure if he was even capable of whispering.

"We should just find something fun to do... maybe we could go to a restaurant, and you could try human food for the first time.." they grinned with a tired wiggle of their eyebrows. Papyrus frowned worriedly. "ARE YOU SURE WE SHOULD BE FOOLING AROUND LIKE THAT?" Frisk shrugged, "it's not like the monsters are going anywhere. And since we've got no ideas, we should have fun until we think of something." Papyrus looked away, "I DON'T KNOW..."

Frisk slowly moved to grab at Papyrus' cheekbones, and he jumped slightly in surprise. Frisk suddenly seemed more awake; their voice held strength and they gave him their full attention. "How about this... during the mornings we'll go outside and spend some time doing something fun; then during the afternoons, we'll try brainstorming some more. We'll get nowhere fast by overworking ourselves."

Papyrus sighed, "I... SUPPOSE YOU'RE RIGHT, BUT-" "Good." Frisk reclined away, folding their legs up to their chest and hugging them. They smiled at him. Hesitantly, he smiled back. 

For almost an hour the two of them chatted lightly, Papyrus finally feeling a bit less anxious. He was happy to speak with Frisk, and they giggled along with some of his goofier remarks. Frisk was a bit mischievous at times, coming up with sneaky ideas and even occasionally telling puns like Sans would, their eyes going wide in amusement as he groaned in annoyance.

Papyrus wasn't upset with them though; the jokes felt familiar, and it brought him back to a time before he became king.

Sans rarely told puns and bad jokes anymore, he was always too busy. Papyrus missed it when Sans would bother him good naturedly... he also missed when Sans wasn't a murderer. He felt a chill run down his spine at the memory of Sans with blood on his hands. He shook the memory away.

Frisk eventually grew tired again. When the conversation drifted off and Frisk fell asleep, Papyrus merely laid there and watched them. They were so small compared to him, and they looked so innocent as they slept. They were just a child, and while Papyrus didn't know their exact age, he was sure they had to be only around ten. Papyrus himself was a young adult at twenty, and as a result he often felt like other monsters refused to take him seriously.

They all treated him like he was still a child, and while he _had_ been chosen as the new king, people never really bothered to listen to him, now that he thought about it. Even in his position of power, he didn't really hold much say over the monsters. He wondered if someone else- someone like Undyne- would be able to bring hope to the monsters when he couldn't. He wondered if the monsters even trusted him with the job he now had the burden of undertaking.

Monsters had take Frisk seriously, despite their age. Perhaps it was because they were human? Or, more likely, it was because... of how destructive they used to be. Papyrus sighed. He liked Frisk a lot, they were a very good friend of his. He cared about them very much. But he couldn't deny how afraid of them he had initially been. 

Yes, people took Frisk seriously because they were scary. But... looking at Frisk now, Papyrus saw nothing but a child. He didn't see the beast that had ignored all his puzzles anymore, nor did he see the cold stare that had looked at him without any sense of acknowledgement. Frisk was _so_ different now...could he even consider them the same person?

Had his guidance really done so much for them? How could they have ever been so lifeless and cruel? He let his hand brush over Frisks warm cheek, and they sighed quietly, curling sweetly into the touch. Frisk was... cute now. They were _very_ cute now. Not even with the frightening memory in his mind's eye did he fear them even a little anymore.

Papyrus wondered why his mind kept drifting off to such worrying things. He kept waving the thoughts away, but without a distraction his anxious concerns kept returning to him. He had no idea how to get to sleep with so much stuff to worry about.

Frisk mumbled in their sleep. "Papyrus..." He blinked, hoping he hadn't woken them up again. But they didn't move, and their shallow breaths did not falter. He smiled; were they dreaming about him?

He removed his hand from their cheek. He rolled onto his chest and inched closer to them, shutting his eyes. They were warm, and their presence was...comforting.

He wasn't alone up here on the surface, no matter how much it could feel that way. Frisk would be here with him.

He didn't find it quite so hard to sleep anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unnecessary fluff! yay


	6. Tourist Attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus guiltily tries to enjoy the surface... and thus more fluff ensues because i have no self-control.

 

The next morning, Papyrus woke up to darkness. The room was slightly brighter than last night, but the curtains were so heavy that barely any light passed through. Papyrus got out of bed and stretched, popping his bones. He marched over to the window and pulled open the drapes with a flourish, causing a low groan of discomfort to emit from the bundle of blankets curled up on the bed.

"Papyrus... close the curtains... It's too bright..." They whined, pulling the sheets over their head. The skeleton laughed, "NYEH HEH HEH! IT'S MORNING, FRISK! IT'S TIME TO GET UP!" Frisk rolled over to face the wall stubbornly. "Don't stand by the window, by the way... someone could look in and see you..." their voice was muffled.

Papyrus complied, moving away from the window and instead stepping up to the bed. He grasped all the sheets and dragged them down; unveiling Frisks curled up, shivering body. "WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!" "Hey, stop it..! It's cold in here..." they whimpered, hugging their arms and glaring at him. "NOPE! IT'S TIME TO GET UP NOW! NO BLANKETS FOR YOU!!!"

They growled angrily, "Papyrus..." They scooted down to the middle of the bed and curling under the half removed covers. "NO, FRISK." Papyrus scolded them, tugging the blankets completely off the bed this time, and holding them bunched in his arms. "GO GET DRESSED! THEN WE'LL HAVE BREAKFAST!"

Frisk groaned again, sitting up lazily. "I'm tired... I don't wanna get up yet..." Papyrus stomped his foot. "TOO BAD! NOW GET UP SO I CAN FIX YOUR BED!" Frisk huffed, and plopped their feet onto the floor, grumbling to themself about Papyrus being a 'morning person.' They whined and complained all the way to the bathroom, where they childishly glared at him one last time before shutting the door.

Papyrus grinned in amusement. They were so grumpy this morning! How cute!

He replaced the blankets, properly making the bed. By the time Frisk emerged from the bathroom, Papyrus was dressed and he was poking through the kitchen. "THEY APPARENTLY LEFT TWO 'COMPLIMENTARY CHOCOLATES' ON THE COUNTER! ONE FOR EACH OF US! HMM.. BUT WE SHOULD EAT BREAKFAST FIRST!"

"What? Chocolate?" Frisk rushed into the room, eyes wide and a grin on their face. Papyrus held the treats up to show them. "YEP!" the humans face brightened up at the sight of them. "Gimme!" They jumped up to grab the chocolates, but Papyrus only needed to raise his hand higher to be out of their reach. He grinned, waving he chocolates above their head teasingly.

"I want the chocolates! Gimme gimme gimme!" They hopped up and down, a frown starting to grow on their face, "Papyrus!" He laughed, shaking his head. "YOU'RE JUST TOO SHORT TO REACH!" Their eyes narrowed. "This isn't fair..." Frisk stopped jumping, and tapped their foot on the ground instead. "Why won't you give me the chocolates..?" Papyrus shook his index finger at them. "YOU CAN HAVE IT AFTER WE EAT SOMETHING HEALTHIER. LIKE SPAGHETTI!" Frisk crossed their arms, puffing out their cheeks. "You're not my mom." Papyrus raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "OF COURSE NOT, BUT THAT WON'T STOP ME FROM ACTING LIKE IT!"

They stared at each other for a moment before Frisk let their hands fall to their sides. The human sighed. "Fine, but after breakfast I get _both_ of the chocolates." Papyrus easily agreed to the demands, chocolate wasn't really his cup of tea anyway.

The two of them ate leftovers from Frisk dimensional box. For the entire meal, Frisk eyed the hostage chocolates that sat on Papyrus' side of the table. Frisks grumpiness slowly melted away though, their usual composure returning to them now that they were fed.

They smiled at him. "For lunch, do you wanna try some human food?" Papyrus shrugged, "SURE. BUT I CAN'T EAT WITH MY DISGUISE ON." Frisk hummed, "no restaurants, then. I guess we'll need to come back here and order room service... that or we just go to a fast food place and bring the food home." Papyrus hummed, "WHICH WOULD HAVE BETTER FOOD?" Frisk thought about it for a while, finishing their meal and leaning their chin on their elbow. "...Room service it is, then."

Papyrus expected Frisk to hork the chocolates down once he gave them to them, but Frisk ate slowly, grinning all the while. "We should buy some more chocolate. I can't survive on just _this_." Papyrus hummed, "IF WE'RE GOING TO BUY DESSERT WE SHOULD ALSO GET INGREDIENTS TO MAKE SPAGHETTI! WE'LL DEFINITELY RUN OUT OF LEFTOVER SPAGHETTI SOON!" Frisk shrugged. "But there's only human ingredients up here, so it'd be different." "I'M ALWAYS UP FOR A CHALLENGE!"

After Frisk finished eating, the two decided on what they would do today. Papyrus was very energized, feeling upbeat now that they had a layout for the day. He loved having something planned; having a schedule and responsibilities. He felt much more in his element now.

It was cold outside, and while that didn't bother Papyrus, it _did_ bother Frisk. They had no jacket. "Maybe we should go clothes shopping for me later, too," they suggested on the way to the grocery store, and Papyrus nodded wordlessly. Frisk still guided him around by his hand, the handholding helping to keep him from getting lost in the crowd. There were people everywhere, and once they reached the grocery store, the building itself was also filled to the brim with humans. "Must be the weekend, or something," Frisk muttered.

The place was filled with various types of food and ingredients, and Papyrus was trying his best to hold himself back from buying too many things. Frisk was his main buffer, putting things back on the shelf after he grabbed them.

"No, we don't need that," they said for the tenth time, "if we're gonna buy _heaps_ of anything, it should be chocolate." "BUT THAT'S BAD FOR YOU! YOU NEED HEALTHY VARIETY!" "Variety, yeah, like twenty different types of spaghetti sauce?" "YOU BET!!!" Frisk seemed amused, so he didn't really concern himself with their sarcasm.

They rode on the shopping cart as he pushed it around. They claimed that riding on the cart was fun; definitely much more fun than walking. When Papyrus decided that he would try it too Frisk panicked- thinking he was too heavy and that the cart would tip- before realizing that Papyrus didn't weigh very much. Having no flesh mean a lot of weight was lost.

They played with the cart for a bit longer than they probably should have. They almost ran into a human, due to Papyrus almost not being able to slow the cart down fast enough. Afterwards, Frisk started acting as if humans were targets, directing the cart towards passerby and laughing as Papyrus swerved to avoid them. After that he decided to stop playing. Frisk grumpily hung from the shopping cart after that.

Shopping for food went well enough though, and as they emerged from the crowded store with plastic bags in hand, Frisk gestured towards a building across the street. It was a children's clothing store. "C'mon, we gotta get me a jacket."

The store was much more empty that the grocery store, just a few parents with their children, fitting the kids into jackets and snow-pants that were much too heavy for the current weather. Frisk handed their groceries to Papyrus, "I need to be able to carry some clothes that I wanna try out," they said, grinning as he struggled to balance himself with the new load.

They ended up getting themself an entire new outfit, one that fit the cold weather that Frisk was sure would be coming soon. They even found a nice blue sweater with a single yellow stripe through the middle. Papyrus was always one for cool clothes and dressing up, but he was relieved to be finished shopping when the two of them approached the cashier. 

They stood at the counter, and while Papyrus paid for the clothes Frisk wanted, Frisk looked through the jewelry that was sitting nearby. They fiddled with a golden heart locket on a silver chain, opening it and closing it again. "Don't touch that sweetie," the receptionist said, "unless you plan on getting it."

Frisk glanced up at Papyrus. "I want it." Papyrus frowned from behind his mask. "REALLY?" They nodded, moving it towards the human across the desk. "We'll get this too," they said, pulling money from their pocket.

The receptionist glanced at Papyrus, expecting him to object, but he just placed it on the pile of clothes, "ALRIGHT, FRISK. IF YOU SAY SO." The human at the desk seemed surprised at his acquiescence, but she ran it through anyway.

They left the store and traveled back to the hotel. Upon returning home, Frisk sat on the bed, arranging the clothes into their dimensional box. Papyrus put the groceries away, and called to Frisk from the kitchen. "ARE WE GOING TO GET ROOM SERVICE NOW? OR SHOULD WE JUST EAT THE FOOD WE BOUGHT?"

Instead of shouting back, Frisk walked into the kitchen to speak to him properly. The locket was draped around their neck, and the new sweater was already tucked under their overalls. "No, we're still getting room service. Where's the menu?" Papyrus picked up a slip of tough paper that he had previously found on the counter, "IS THIS IT?" "Yeah, that's it." They took it from him, and left for their bed again.

Papyrus finished putting the food away and plopped down onto the couch, still feeling energized but at a lack of what to do. It was a little past noon- their shopping trip took a bit longer than expected. Thankfully, they still had lots of time to come up with ideas for breaking the barrier. Papyrus sighed; he had enjoyed the outing with Frisk, but he felt guilty.

He should have been more stubborn about focusing only on his task, but he was just so excited about being on the surface. He was letting Frisk distract him. Frisk was just as excited about this as he was. They were so eager to show him as much as they could about their world. But... should he even allow himself to have fun up here?

He couldn't keep the monsters waiting for too long; if they thought that he was on the surface to kill the humans, they probably expected him back by now. Would they even care if he told them the delay was because he wanted to do this peacefully? Would they be angry at him for bothering to try a different way? Would they accuse him of not being a good enough king?

Frisk fell onto the couch beside him, and they rolled over so that their head sat in his lap. They stared up at him, smiling. "I ordered our food. You should put on your disguise for when they get here."

Despite himself, Papyrus grinned. "I CAN'T DO THAT WITH YOU LYING ON ME." Frisk crossed their hands behind their head and smirked, "well that's just too bad." Papyrus' grin widened, his worry once again pushed away to the back of his mind. He narrowed his eyes mischievously. "I'M GONNA HAVE TO _MAKE_ YOU GET UP!" They raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Go ahead. I'd like to see you try."

Papyrus sprung into action, tickling Frisks vulnerable sides. Frisk burst out into uncontrollable laughter, and they tried to free their arms from under their head to defend themself. They pushed at Papyrus' face with their tiny hands. "Stop!  Stooop!"

They snorted, making Papyrus laugh along. "NYEH HEH HEH!" As Frisk failed to wriggle from his grasp, they shouted; "okay! Hah, okay, okay I'll move! Stop it!"

Papyrus spared them, and they panted tiredly up at him. "That was cruel," they mumbled with a pout, making him laugh again. "ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS, NYEH HEH!" Frisk didn't move from his lap, but Papyrus didn't make any moves to usher them away either.

Papyrus patted their head, and his gloved hand drifted down to their neck, where he raised up the new locket to get a closer look. "WHY'D YOU WANT US TO GET THIS, BY THE WAY?" Papyrus asked gently, rolling the heart over in his palm.

Frisk hummed, grabbing it back from him and holding it up to see it better, eyes going wide. "...I dunno... I used to have a heart locket kind of like this one..." They shrugged, "I just felt _right_ when I saw it. I wish I could've gotten one for you, too." Papyrus smiled, "I DON'T MIND. I'M GLAD YOU'RE HAPPY." They dropped the necklace and it fell out of sight. They smiled and stared back up at him. "...Yeah."

They grinned at each other for a short moment, before Frisk shut their eyes and shook their head, sitting up from Papyrus' lap. "You really need to put on your disguise now, though. They could arrive in either an hour, or in a few minutes. There's no telling."

Papyrus got up, and started fixing on his medical mask. "DON'T THEY TELL YOU HOW LONG THEY'LL BE WHEN YOU MAKE THE ORDER?" "Do they? I must've forgot..." Frisk shrugged, and Papyrus put on his sunglasses, "WON'T THEY QUESTION WHY I'M WEARING THESE INDOORS?" Frisk furrowed their brows, "I guess you're right. Maybe just... hide in the bathroom when they show up and I'll say you're taking a bath." "OKAY!"

When the food arrived, Frisk told the human that Papyrus had given them money to pay with incase his bath wasn't over by the time the food showed up. Frisk was excellent at coming up with solutions for things, and Papyrus felt pride swell in his soul. They were so good at puzzles!

When the human left, Papyrus emerged from the bathroom, and blinked at the arrangement of food on the table. "I made sure I didn't get spaghetti so we could have it for dinner," Frisk said proudly. Papyrus sat in his chair, eyeing the food curiously. Frisk put a hand to their chin. "I wonder if you'll end up needing to use the bathroom, since it's not magical food. You know... I still don't quite understand how skeleton monsters work."

Papyrus picked up his fork, unsure of what to eat first. "IT'S ALL MAGIC, FRISK! SKELETONS ARE SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL MONSTERS, MAGIC-WISE; SINCE WE RELY SO MUCH ON IT FOR PROPER FUNCTIONING!!" Frisk blinked in surprise. "Huh," they mumbled, "that explains a lot..."

They shook their head, "okay, how about you try the chicken first? It's got cool spices on it and everything!" He nodded, "OF COURSE! ANYTHING 'COOL' IS WORTH MY ATTENTION!!!"

Frisk watched him with glee as he tried everything. The food wasn't much different than monster food, but for some reason it didn't rejuvenate him the way monster food did. Instead it made him feel warm and comfortable; it made him tired instead of energetic.

After eating all the different foods that Frisk had bought, he sighed. "HUMAN FOOD IS WEIRD. I FEEL SLUGGISH NOW, WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF HOW MONSTER FOOD MAKES ME FEEL." Frisk shrugged, smiling, "that just means that you had a really good meal!" Papyrus slouched down in his chair, "HUMAN FOOD IS _REALLY_ WEIRD." Frisk pouted, "do you not like it?"

He blinked at them, noticing the hurt expression on their face. Oh no!

"OH, NO FRISK IT'S REALLY COOL!!! IT'S JUST A _WEIRD_ KIND OF COOL!" Papyrus said worriedly. Frisks frown disappeared and they smiled. "If you say so, Papyrus." Papyrus sat up in his chair, "IT TASTED VERY NICE, HUMANS ARE GOOD COOKS!" Frisk nodded. "Monsters are good cooks too... mainly you, though." Papyrus laughed, putting a proud hand to his chest, "OF COURSE I AM! NYEH HEH HEH!!"

Since they hadn't planned on going outside this afternoon, Papyrus supposed that his sleepiness didn't impede on their plans at all. He didn't let himself fret about it.

He and Frisk continued to sit at the table, trying to come up with some kind of way to free the monsters peacefully. It mainly consisted of Papyrus coming up with ideas, and Frisk turning them all down with one reason or another.

Papyrus didn't see why they couldn't just _try_ with one or two of his ideas before scrapping them. He nervously wondered if Frisk was just trying to get him to stick around longer... for selfish reasons.

It was hours later when Frisk finally sighed, "I just don't know, Papyrus. by the time they're buried their souls would probably be gone already. And I don't even know where the nearest cemetery is. We'll continue this conversation tomorrow- but for now, I'm hungry. Wanna make some spaghetti?" They grinned at him with a wink, and Papyrus frowned worriedly.

_Were_ they just trying to distract him? Could he blame them if they were, though? He thought for a moment, unsure. Should he let himself be distracted?

He managed a small shrug. "...I SUPPOSE. I'M NOT VERY HUNGRY, BUT WHO CAN REJECT SPAGHETTI?" Frisk chuckled; seeing them laugh so openly and innocently made him decide that this distraction would be worth it. And after all, spaghetti was very important! And it had been such a long time since he last made spaghetti just for _himself,_ and not for anyone else...

"C'mon, let's go!" Frisk leapt from their chair, and tugged at his hand until he followed them.

Papyrus got out the ingredients to make the sauce. "ALRIGHT, FRISK! IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE GREAT SPAGHETTI!" Frisk grinned at the tomatoes on the counter. "Do you want me to smash them up with my _fists_?" They clenched their hands, a dangerous, excited gleam in their large eyes. Papyrus hesitated.

Yes, that _was_ what he was going to ask them to do, but... they looked a bit _too_ ready to beat up the ingredients. "UH... YES! LET ME SHOW YOU HOW!" Frisk looked like they were about to protest, but before they could get a word in, Papyrus smashed all the vegetables himself. "THINK OF THE INGREDIENTS LIKE YOUR GREATEST ENEMY!" Papyrus announced, quoting what Undyne so often told him.

The food got everywhere, and Frisk frowned up at him through a layer of debris. They huffed, crossing their arms. "You didn't leave any for me!"

He grinned sheepishly at them, "OH, OOPS!!! I MUST'VE GOTTEN CARRIED AWAY!!" Frisk shook their head, eyes squinting and a grin forming. "It's okay, Papyrus. Next time, I'll know _just_ the way to do it!" Papyrus nodded, his unease fading. Maybe he had overreacted a little. "YES, YOU'LL DO GREAT!!"

They scraped the mushy remains into a bowl, before moving onto the pasta itself. Papyrus put a pot on the stove, "ALRIGHT FRISK! NOW WE COOK THE NOODLES!" He got out the container of noodles, and Frisk moved to grab it, "let me do it!"  They peered into the bowl, "shouldn't there be water?"

"OH! YES OF COURSE!" After he filled the pot, Frisk continued to hesitate, "...and shouldn't the water be boiling first?" Papyrus hummed, "UNDYNE ALWAYS TURNED THE HEAT UP AFTER." Frisk shrugged, "I don't know anything about cooking, so I'll take her word for it." They roughly shook the noodles into the pot, the dry pasta breaking apart and clanking against the metal. So passionate!

"NOW WE TURN IT UP TO BOIL!" He announced proudly. Frisk grabbed his hand as he reached for the knob, "not too high, we don't need to start any fires," they said knowingly. Undyne had caused small fires before, but nothing he couldn't handle. Still, he decided to nod at them, "WE'LL TRY TO AVOID BURNING THIS BATCH!" Frisk sat up on the counter, relaxing slightly and dangling their legs over the side. Papyrus put the sauce into the microwave, and as they waited for the food to cook, they sat in silence.

Frisk played with their flower, tugging at the golden petals, but not hard enough for them to break off. Papyrus watched, still a bit awed at how the flower never wilted. The flowers that grew back in Asgore's garden were probably wilting again without him there to take care of them. He frowned slightly at the thought.

Maybe, by the time he got back, everyone will have already returned from... vacation. Maybe if he hoped, and denied his suspicions long enough, everyone would end up okay. Maybe... Asgore was watering the flowers for him right now. They were all healthy and happy... They didn't need his help anymore.

The spaghetti was finished, the pot taken off the stove and the sauce removed from the microwave. Frisk had voiced concern about using the microwave of all things, but Papyrus waved them off. Undyne always used the microwave!

They set the table and Papyrus grinned at Frisk in anticipation. They sheepishly smiled back. While Frisk seemed to have difficulty eating it, Papyrus thought it was one of his best! Not burning the noodles had been a great idea! He'd need to tell Undyne about it...

He decided to focus on eating the spaghetti. It _was_ rather delicious... after all...

"Hey, Papyrus..." he peered across the table at them. "YES?" He wondered if they had noticed his worried expression. Hopefully not. Frisk fiddled with their spaghetti nervously. "I... I like you a lot, you know that, right?" Papyrus blushed, confused by the sudden confession. What?

"UM... W-WELL, OF COURSE YOU DO! I'M THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WHO WOULDN'T LIKE ME!" He announced, and judging by the small smile on Frisks face, he knew they could see through his bravado.

"Yeah," they replied, "but... with that said... are you happy being on the surface with me?" Papyrus put his fork down, suddenly sensing the seriousness of Frisk's mood, "OF COURSE!" He assured them, not wanting them to feel upset, "I'M JUST VERY... NERVOUS ABOUT THE FUTURE, THAT'S ALL." Frisk nodded, "I understand. You have a lot on your shoulders, and people want you to do something you really, _really_ don't want to do. I guess it was wrong of me to think that I could make you forget about all that stuff."

Papyrus tilted his head, "FORGET?" Frisk sighed, looking away, "I... I thought that if you had enough fun up here on the surface, you'd decide to... abandon the monsters and just live up here with me. It was wrong to think that way, I'm sorry." Papyrus didn't know what to say.

So Frisk _had_ been trying to distract him. They _didn't_ want him to figure out some other way to free the monsters. They just wanted him to spend time with them. He felt like he should be upset in some way, but he wasn't. What could he say to them?

"FRISK..." he tried to start, but he couldn't think of how to continue, "IT'S... IT'S OKAY, FRISK." Their eyes shot to him, wide and shocked, "It is?" He nodded, "YOU MUST'VE BEEN LONELY UP HERE AFTER YOU LEFT THE UNDERGROUND, HUH? THAT'S WHY YOU CAME TO VISIT ME SO MUCH!"

They nodded, embarrassed. "I just wasn't satisfied with it ending that way." He hummed at that, "WELL, IF WE CAN BREAK THE BARRIER, WE CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE TOGETHER IF YOU WANT. YOU CAN STILL SHOW ME ALL THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE SURFACE."

They diverted their eyes, as if too nervous to even look at him, "without... without Sans living with us too?" Papyrus blinked. Frisk really didn't trust Sans, did they? He supposed it made sense, after what he did...

The human soul angrily glowed in his ribcage as he thought about it. "...YES. THE... THE HUMAN SOUL WOULDN'T WANT HIM THERE, ANYWAY." He said, with an air of finality that made the soul relax happily. _Good_ \- they said in his mind.

Frisk looked at him curiously, but they seemed to think better of it and they smiled at him instead of asking. Their eyes were wide and shimmering, "thank you... I promise I won't hold you back anymore."

Papyrus grinned, "YOU CAN STILL SHOW ME NEW THINGS, THOUGH! WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE BARRIER, SO UNTIL WE HAVE A PLAN, WE CAN HAVE _SOME_ FUN!" Frisk seemed to be radiating happiness, "you're so nice to me Papyrus."

He shrugged as if it was obvious. "OF COURSE! YOU'RE MY COOL FRIEND!" They laughed, and wiped their eyes. Papyrus only now realized that they had started tearing up. "Yeah... you're my cool friend too..."

Papyrus then cleaned up the food, washing the dishes in the sink. Frisk insisted on helping, so they dried and put the dishes away, smiling softly to themself the entire time. It was nice to do chores together with someone. Sans never helped him wash the dishes.

After they finished, the two sat on the couch; but neither bothered to turn on the TV. They just sat in silence. Frisk leaned against Papyrus' shoulder, staring at the blank television screen.

"...I MISS WATCHING METTATON." Papyrus mumbled, once again thinking about the robot as he stared at the TV. Mettaton had always wanted to be on human television... Frisk sighed, "I know." They finally decided to reach for the remote. "Do you want to see if anything's on, or..."

"I SUPPOSE. IT'LL BE A WHILE UNTIL I'M TIRED ENOUGH TO GO TO BED." While the statement was true, he felt much more tired than he normally would. He blamed the human food. "Okay," Frisk replied, and they flicked on the TV, surfing through the channels.

They ended up finding a human movie to watch, a comedy movie that raised Papyrus' spirits a bit. Humans were pretty good at making movies. After the movie was over, a different one started, a more action oriented picture. Papyrus was immediately hooked, but Frisk grew tired. They slipped into their pajamas and then into bed, only asking him to, 'turn off the lights and the TV when you're done,' before burying themself in the blankets.

Papyrus watched the movie with intrigue, amazed at the stunts that they could pull off. He thought humans didn't have magic anymore? Was their CGI really just that good? He watched the movie well into the night, and once midnight came around and the movie ended, he shut off the TV.

Midnight was an early bedtime for him, but the food was finally taking its toll. He pulled off his shirt, shut off the lights and moved towards his bed. He paused, peering over at the bundle of blankets that hid Frisk. He had slept easy by their side bed last night, but he supposed the two of them never agreed to make a routine out of it. He shifted under his own covers instead, and stared up at the dark ceiling.

Would tomorrow be the day they came up with a plan to save the monsters? Would Papyrus really need to practically _disown_ Sans to live with Frisk? He knew that Sans cared deeply about him. While Sans had started working hard when Papyrus became king, Papyrus knew it was only because of him. If he abandoned his brother, would Sans ever accomplish anything? Would he just return to being a careless layabout?

_'Who cares what happens to him-'_ the soul suddenly interjected angrily- ' _he killed me.'_ Papyrus felt the need to argue. ' _BUT HE'S MY BROTHER! SURE HE... SURE HE HURT YOU, BUT HE'S JUST CONFUSED. HE'S THE SAME AS ALL THE OTHER MONSTERS! HE'S NOT A BAD PERSON, HE JUST THINKS THAT... THAT KILLING IS FOR THE GREATER GOOD...'_

The soul scoffed- ' _Papyrus, look. I'm sure you're right. Any monster other than you would have no problem killing seven humans for the sake of everyone's freedom. Sans is just more efficient than them, so he got to me first. But_ he _still killed me, and_ they _didn't.' 'OF COURSE! I'M NOT SAYING THAT HE'S INNOCENT! BUT...'_

Papyrus rolled onto his side, facing Frisks bed. He couldn't hate Sans just because he had made a mistake. A terrible mistake, sure, but Sans was still a person. Sans was still his brother... but if both Frisk and his human soul didn't trust him, how was he supposed to be there for him? How was Sans supposed to be motivated to get up in the morning without him?

He continue to internally argue with the human soul. Papyrus doubted he'd get any sleep this way. The soul almost ached- it was glowing and struggling against him so harshly- and he was almost afraid it would rip itself right out of his ribcage.

Eventually though, it calmed. ' _I get it. I know you care about everyone, even someone like him. Even someone like Frisk. And I respect you for it... but please understand that I won't forgive him. I am_ dead, _Papyrus. No matter how present I might feel to you, I am dead. I won't ever walk down these streets as myself ever again. I won't be able to see my family again. And it's his fault. So... try not to make me be around him any longer than you have to, because I_ will _take control of your body and I_ will _beat him up.'_ They finished their rant with a childish raspberry sound, and with that, the glowing stopped. The soul went still. No matter how he called out to them, they stayed quiet in his mind.

He sighed, kicking his feet anxiously under the sheets. He didn't like how stubborn humans could be. Compared to any monster he had met, humans were absolutely determined to have their own way. Well... except Undyne; she was very determined too.

He heard Frisk shift in their bed, and he immediately pretended to be asleep. After a moment he felt a dip in his mattress, and a warm body settled beside his. What were they doing? They curled up against him, and in their warm presence he felt soothed. His grim mood slowly faded.

Everything would be okay. Everyone would be okay. It would be hard to save everyone, but... he had to stay determined. Just like a human.

He breathed into the covers, wrapping an arm around Frisks warm, soft shoulders. They gasped softly; had he surprised them? He opened his eyes and looked at them, but their eyes were shut. They looked so cute, even through the darkness he could see the faint blush on their cheeks. He felt adoration bloom in his chest.

Maybe they would at _least_ let Sans visit. Or maybe they'd let him live next door. Perhaps both! They could compromise. Frisk was a nice kid.

He shut his eyes and slowly let himself drift off to sleep. For some reason his mind settled easier with them nearby. Maybe it was because they used to take his mind off of his responsibilities back when he was in the Underground. Their mere presence told him that for now, he wouldn't need to worry. He smiled absentmindedly, feeling sleep overtake him. Yes, with them nearby, he knew he'd be okay. 

\---

Papyrus woke up feeling groggy. It was odd; he had always woken up energized before. His half-asleep mind blamed the human food. That stuff was weirdly draining. He opened his eyes to the darkness of the hotel room, the light from the window completely blocked by the heavy curtains. He could barely see Frisk, even though they were curled up beside him.

They weren't hugging him anymore, and were merely nestled up against his chest. His arms encircled them, and he snuggled his nose into their hair. They were so small. He shut his eyes, waiting for his dreariness to pass.

Frisk stirred, shifting weakly in his grasp. "Hm..?" They yawned, rubbing at their eyes. They blinked blearily up at him, and Papyrus felt his cheekbones flush in embarrassment. They were just so soft and squishy, he couldn't help himself. He hoped he hadn't made them uncomfortable. But instead of rolling away from his stiff, boney arms, they smiled and folded themself closer to him.

He grinned and nuzzled their head affectionately. "GOOD MORNING!" Frisk chuckled, amused at his loud greeting. "Mornin'..." they mumbled. He honestly didn't understand how they weren't bothered by the stark stiffness of his teeth against their hair, but he wasn't going to complain.

Frisk hummed tiredly. "Can I stay in bed a bit longer..? I don't wanna get up..." If Papyrus was being honest, he didn't want to get up yet either. But Frisk didn't need to know that. "WE COULD MAKE PLANS FOR THE DAY WHILE WE SIT HERE. THAT WAY WE CAN AT LEAST GET SOMETHING DONE BY BEING A COUPLE OF LAZYBONES." Frisk let out a soft giggle, shutting their eyes tiredly, "okay, sure... what do you wanna do today?"

Papyrus shrugged as best he could in his position. "I DON'T KNOW. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THERE IS TO DO ON THE SURFACE." Frisk lay still for a moment, before mumbling out a reply, "we could go to a movie theater and watch a movie? You seemed pretty interested in human TV last night." Papyrus grinned. "YEAH, THAT SOUNDS FUN! I'VE MISSED WATCHING TV, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN MONTHS!" Frisk yawned, "so... you wanna do that? We could eat lunch in here afterwards."

Papyrus nodded gently against their hair. "SURE, IT SOUNDS FUN! ...WHAT'LL WE DO AFTER THAT?" Frisk groaned grumpily, "uhg, I don't know... I don't have any ideas..." Papyrus laughed. They were really cute when they were grumpy. His laugh only made them more irritated. "What are you laughing about?"

"NOTHING! WE DON'T HAVE TO PLAN THAT FAR AHEAD. WE'LL WORRY ABOUT IT WHEN WE COME TO IT!" Frisk sighed heavily, and if their eyes were open, Papyrus was sure they would have rolled them. "Alright."

\---

After pulling Frisk out of bed and eating a small breakfast together (of human food, to Papyrus' mild discomfort), they set out for the closest movie theater. They hadn't decided on what they would watch, Frisk only suggested that they see whatever looked interesting.

"DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS?" Papyrus asked as Frisk took his hand and lead him down the sidewalk. Frisk did a gesture with their hand that communicated, 'sorta.'

_'Even if they don't, I do. I'll make sure we go the right way.'_ The human soul spoke up confidently in his head. _'OH, GOOD! THANK YOU, HUMAN!'_ He replied to them, and he could tell that they were feeling very sure of themself. They wouldn't be getting lost on their watch!

Frisk walked them around for what felt like almost an hour. Papyrus was occasionally told that _this way_ or _that way_ was the correct path, and he tugged on Frisks hand, leading them in the right direction. Frisk didn't ask, but they did eye him curiously. There was no way he'd know where to go in his own. But, eventually they finally reached the large theater building, and Papyrus gaped up at it in wonder.

It wasn't any bigger than their hotel, but it was much larger than he had been expecting. He was blown away by the sheer scale of it, and as they approached it he found himself wondering, ' _JUST HOW BIG ARE THE TV'S IN THERE?' Really big-_ the human soul said, chuckling. He wasn't sure what to make of that.

The lobby was busy, but the lines went fast, and while choosing the movie was a bit difficult, they decided with an action movie that seemed pretty decent. The tickets weren't too pricy, but it had taken a bit of convincing to get the cashier to take their Gold. As Frisk lead Papyrus to the correct viewing room, they mumbled about needing to convert their cash.

The screen was _huge._ Papyrus' jaw dropped as he beheld it, almost stumbling over himself as Frisk lead him to the back of the room and walked him to a pair of seats where no humans were close by.

The room was illuminated dimly. It was quiet, the soft conversations of other humans was the only sound in the large room. The giant screen was blank. "So," Frisk started, leaning over the armrest to grin at him, "are you excited?" Papyrus nodded, knowing that Frisk couldn't see his face behind his disguise. "I SURE AM! THIS IS SO COOL!" Frisk giggled, leaning ever closer to him, putting their hands to their mouth to whisper to him, "once the movie starts, it'll get really dark in here. You can take off your sunglasses when that happens; nobody will be able to see you." Papyrus nodded happily, "OKAY!"

As the time came for the movie to start drew closer, more humans filed into the room and took their seats. Nobody sat next to Papyrus or Frisk, and it seemed that every human had some distance between them. Humans were a lot less sociable than monsters were, huh? Once the movie started, he took his glasses off and tucked them in his jacket pocket, blinking in the sudden brightness of the screen. Everyone in the room went silent, as the movie blared out loudly.

The experience ended up being a  good one, and Papyrus absolutely loved the battles that played out. Even if they didn't use any magic, the humans had tons of skill with whatever kind of weapon they could grab and swing around. Papyrus was impressed. Frisk was less impressed, occasionally muttering, "I could do that," under their breath at some of the stunts. It made Papyrus unsure whether he should be amused at them or concerned.

The walk home was filled with energy from the both of them, though. Papyrus gushed loudly about what they had seen. Frisk seemed to lighten up at the sight of his excitement, and the two talked happily about the story and the action. "I think it was pretty cool, I'm not sure if you could tell, but a lot of those stunts were real! They usually fake them nowadays, so I was impressed." Frisk said, holding Papyrus' hand and swinging their joined arm. Papyrus raised his hand up and spun his arm in a circle above Frisks head, making them spin like a ballerina.

"THEN THEY MUST BE VERY SKILLED FIGHTERS!" Papyrus announced, remembering how impressive the humans had looked. "Nah," Frisk waved their free hand dismissively, "they couldn't actually _fight._ They can just do cool tricks and climb stuff. They probably aren't actually trained to fight in _real_ battles." Frisk let him raise their hand above their head a second time, but this time they lost their balance when they spun around. "Whoa!"

"CAREFUL!" Papyrus caught them and stood them up properly again. he dusted off their clothes worriedly. "I'm fine, _mom._ " Papyrus raised an eyebrow at them, and they stuck out their tongue playfully with a smirk. He decided to not comment on it.  

They continued walking again. "AND HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD ACTUALLY FIGHT? THEY LOOK SKILLED ENOUGH TO ME!" Frisk shrugged, "I dunno. I guess they might be able to. It's just not something that most actors can _actually_ do, that's all."

Papyrus pondered this for a moment, the two strolling down the street in an amiable silence. "METTATON COULD!" He announced after a while. Frisk frowned, "...yes, he could." They were silent for the rest of the walk, and Papyrus instead chatted to the human soul about the movie. They had appeared to have enjoyed it too.

Upon returning home, Frisk huffed dramatically, plopping down onto their bed. "All that walking is exhausting!" Papyrus shook his head whilst taking off his mask, "I KNOW YOU AREN'T ACTUALLY TIRED, YOU CAN WALK FOR HOURS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM AT ALL!" Frisk groaned, sitting up, "yeah, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard on my poor feet!" They massaged their feet through their socks, and Papyrus frowned worriedly stepping closer to inspect them. "WAIT, ARE YOU ACTUALLY HURT?" Frisk laughed, "I'm fine. I'm just being dramatic, like you said."

Papyrus stood up tall, hands on his hips. "WELL I DON'T WANT YOU TO JOKE ABOUT BEING HURT!" Frisk smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry," they mumbled, "... _mom._ " Papyrus groaned in mock annoyance. "FRISK."

They smirked and shrugged sarcastically. "What? You're such a mom I can't help it sometimes." Papyrus smiled, "WELL I CAN'T HELP IT EITHER! I CARE ABOUT YOU TOO MUCH! NOW... WE MUST FEED YOU, YOU MUST BE STARVING!" Frisk giggled into their hands, "thanks for making me lunch, _mom._ "

Papyrus wagged a finger at them, "OH NO, FRISK! YOU'RE NOT MAKING _ME_ DO ALL THE WORK!" He lurched forwards and grabbed them. Frisk squealed in surprise and laughed, squirming playfully in his hold. "YOU'RE GOING TO HELP!" Papyrus announced, carrying Frisk into the kitchen on his shoulder. "Nooo!" Frisk wailed in dismay.

Papyrus had wanted to make spaghetti again, but Frisk suggested that they try out a different recipe instead. They _had_ bought a small recipe book in the grocery store, so Papyrus flipped through it in search of something he had never made before. They ended up making a small casserole. It turned out better than Papyrus expected, and Frisk seemed to have a very big appetite for it. "YOU MUST BE HUNGRY! WOULD YOU LIKE SOMETHING ELSE TO EAT TOO? LIKE YOU'RE LEFTOVER SPAGHETTI FROM YESTERDAY?" Frisk shook their head, "no thanks, I'm good."

After eating, the two sat on the couch, Frisk flipping carelessly through the channels. "Is there anything you wanna do?" They asked, laziness lacing their voice. Papyrus could tell that they were not in the mood to do anything right now. He considered asking if they wanted to try putting one of his barrier-breaking ideas into action, but his thoughts were interrupted by a song that played on one of the channels.

The screen had gone dark and only music played, making Frisk pause in curiosity. "Hey, cool! A radio channel." Papyrus grinned, "STAY ON THIS CHANNEL. IT MAKES FOR GOOD BACKGROUND NOISE." Indeed, the upbeat tune had a very nice ambience, and Papyrus found himself jumping from the couch before he even realized that he had an idea.

he spun around to face his human friend. "DANCE WITH ME!!!" Papyrus reached out a hand for them to grab. Frisk blushed, refusing to stand from the couch. "No thanks. I'm fine." "NO! YOU MUST!" Papyrus tugged on their hands, and their resolve started to crumble. "Papyrus... I'm tired..." "C'MON!" Frisk sighed, standing up and grinning at him. "Well alright, but I hope you're ready to be embarrassed!"

Frisks dancing was more akin to them striking numerous poses than actually dancing. Papyrus wasn't exactly skilled at dancing- in fact he was rather clumsy when he tried- but that didn't mean that he was out of his element. He just needed to treat it like a fight!

Papyrus reached down with one hand, and Frisk looked up from the dramatic pose that they had struck. They blinked at the offered hand, before taking it, raising an eyebrow at him. "NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus laughed, pulling Frisk towards him in a swift movement, twirling them around. "Whoa!" Frisk yelped, caught off guard by the sudden movement. They caught themself quickly, and they easily started following his lead. Frisk was half Papyrus' height, so Papyrus had to hunch down to properly hold their hands as they danced. That is until Frisk came up with an idea.

They hopped onto his feet, which raised them up slightly and kept them from needing to step on their own. "CLEVER," Papyrus laughed, stepping back and forth to the beat, "BUT NOT CLEVER ENOUGH!" He let go of their hands in a swift motion, and in a brief moment Frisk fell backwards, a shocked look on their face at the sudden realization that they were falling.

But instead of landing harshly on the carpet, They were gently swooped up into Papyrus' arms, and he lifted them above his head. Frisk reacted quickly and they laughed, striking the best pose that they could in their position. As the song ended and another started, Frisk was gently lowered to the ground. "NYOO HOO!" Papyrus cried jokingly, "YOU BESTED ME! HOW WAS I TO KNOW YOU WERE SO GOOD AT DANCING!?" Frisk snickered, standing proudly, "well I'm a human of many talents! There's nothing that I can't do!"

The two continued dancing after that, swinging and spinning and lifting; they looked almost graceful if not for the few times that Papyrus lost his footing and the two collapsed onto the ground. Their spirits were high, and they challenged each other to dance offs where neither could decide who won. They were both just so cool! Only when it came to finally eat dinner did they stop, and the two huffed tiredly as they sat at the table, eating the leftover spaghetti.

"That was fun," Frisk panted, twirling spaghetti onto their fork. "YES IT WAS," Papyrus replied, "YOU TRULY ARE A MASTER OF MANY TRADES!" Frisk smirked, "you also have greater skills than I would have imagined." Papyrus smiled, and the two fell into a comfortable silence as they ate. Papyrus was really having fun. The more time he spent with Frisk the more he felt like they truly were a good person now.

Still, he found his thoughts drifting towards worrisome things. Frisk had assured him that they would try to not distract him anymore- so why was he still not focusing on the task at hand? Why were they still playing and ignoring any of his ideas? Why did he allow himself to avoid putting his ideas into action? The whole reason he was here was to free monsters, and he wasn't even trying! Papyrus frowned.

"What's wrong?" Papyrus raised his head and glanced at Frisk. They had put down their fork and were eying him with concern, "you... stopped eating." Papyrus considered lying and just saying that he was full, but for some reason he decided against it. "FRISK... I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE IMPORTANT THINGS RIGHT NOW. THAT TODAY SHOULD'VE BEEN... MORE PRODUCTIVE." Frisk sighed, "I see." They grabbed their fork lightly in their hands, clinking it against the plate. "I know you're restless. But you just have to be patient."

Papyrus frowned at them. "PATIENT WITH WHAT? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO ACTUALLY TRY ONE OF MY IDEAS OUT, FRISK? ARE WE EVER GOING TO TRY TEACHING HUMANS MAGIC? OR GO TO A GRAVEYARD TO LOOK FOR SOULS? OR ARE WE JUST GOING TO PRETEND THAT WE'LL DO IT LATER, BUT WE NEVER WILL?" Frisk stared at their meal, unable to look up at him. They looked embarrassed.

Papyrus deflated with a sigh. "I'M SORRY, FRISK. I KNOW YOU'RE JUST EXCITED ABOUT ME BEING HERE- AND I AM TOO!" He scratched at the back of his skull, "I'M JUST AFRAID OF NOT DOING WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING!" Frisks expression hardened, and their red eyes opened wide as they looked up at him. "You're right. This is all on you. Whenever you want to get started, we'll do it. Whether that be tomorrow, or in an hour, we'll do it."

Papyrus smiled. "THANK YOU, FRISK. BUT..." He rubbed his jaw, "WE DON'T HAVE TO GO NOW. TOMORROW WILL DO, I GUESS." Frisk nodded, a determined look in their eyes. He grinned widely at them, hoping to prompt them into smiling as well, but the grim look did not go away.

He dropped his eyes to his food and started eating again, and only when Frisk dropped their head too, did he see a sad frown drift onto their face. Were they sad that this little adventure would be over soon? They didn't need to worry, though. He'd always be with them, especially once all the monster were free, too!

\---

Later that night, they settled into their respective beds. The lights were turned out and Papyrus stared up at the dark ceiling, still feeling restless. The human soul wafted out a patient aura that calmed his urgent need to get something done. _'Sleep is your main priority right now_ -' the soul said sternly- ' _Once you go to sleep, everything can go well in the morning._ '

But he still couldn't sleep. His eyes couldn't even bear to shut for extended periods of time. He laid stiffly under the sheets. He was moments away from flinging himself out of bed. "Papyrus?" Frisks voice softly drifted from their bed. He turned, barely able to see the small human through the darkness, "YES?" Frisk shifted, "I can't sleep." "ME NEITHER."

There was silence, and then, "can I sleep with you again tonight?" they asked sheepishly, "I sleep better with you around." Papyrus found himself smiling. "OF COURSE!" Frisk immediately jumped up, stumbling off their bed and feeling blindly for his. He shifted, giving them room as they crawled under the covers beside him.

"Thanks," they mumbled softly. Papyrus wrapped an arm around them, "IT'S NO TROUBLE! I SLEEP BETTER WITH YOU AROUND, TOO! I FEEL MUCH MORE AT EASE WITH YOU HERE." Frisk rolled closer to him at that. They felt at his ribs with their fingers instead of wrapping their arms around him like they usually did. "The soul is glowing," they said softly. Without his shirt on, the souls brightness was barely muffled by his ribcage. He glanced down at it, "YES, IT IS. THE HUMAN WAS SPEAKING WITH ME."

Frisk raised an eyebrow at it. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything." Papyrus shook his head, "OH, NO! THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO HELP ME RELAX. I ALWAYS HAVE A BIT OF TROUBLE SLEEPING." ' _It's like you've got insomnia or something-_ 'the soul mumbled. _'I DO, ACTUALLY!'_ The human soul paused. ' _Huh. I guess that explains that.'_ They hummed, surprise in their voice.

Frisk stared at the soul. "Sometimes I forget that you have a human soul already. Do they... do they like me?" Frisk looked up at him innocently, the soul illuminating their face. ' _Somewhat-'_ the soul replied shortly. It almost sounded sarcastic. "T- THEY KIND OF DO?" Papyrus didn't know how to relay the message. Frisk pouted, retracting their hands from his ribs, "what are they like? I never got to meet them."

Papyrus struggled to find the right words to describe them. "THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL! AND PATIENT... THEY'RE ALSO RATHER LAZY." The soul was offended- _Hey!_ "WELL YOU ARE!" he replied out loud for Frisks sake. Frisk snickered, "did they not like that?" Papyrus laughed, "YEAH. THEY'RE LAZY BECAUSE THEY'D MUCH RATHER LET ME DO EVERYTHING. THEY COULD SHARE CONTROL OF MY BODY IF THEY WANTED, BUT THEY JUST DON'T BOTHER TO!" The soul huffed in his mind, but didn't contradict him. He grinned.

"That's good. It's good to know that it'll always be you that I'm talking to." Papyrus smiled, encircling Frisk in his bony arms. "THE HUMAN HAS BECOME ONE OF MY FRIENDS. THEY'RE ALWAYS TEACHING ME NEW THINGS ABOUT THE SURFACE!" Frisk tried to hug his ribcage, but their arms were too short to get a good hold, so they raised their arms up and hugged his neck instead. "I suppose that's how you knew where the movie theater was?" He nodded, resting his chin on their head, "YEP!"

Frisk chuckled, "well that's convenient. They must be quite the guide." Papyrus nodded again, but didn't speak. He found that holding the small, warm human to him made him drowsy. The soul slowly faded, until darkness reigned throughout the room again. _'GOODNIGHT HUMAN!'_ The soul chuckled tiredly- ' _night.'_ Then, they went silent. He wondered if they could even sleep, being nothing but a soul.

He slowly drifted off, comforted by Frisks warm presence. He hoped that this meant that they would share a bed all the time now. Even if they didn't always sleep together, he knew Frisk wouldn't complain if he asked.

From this point on, they were going to be straightforward with each other. They were a team. They would free everyone _together_.


	7. Old Habits Die Hard

It was oddly cold in the room when Papyrus woke up. He blinked drearily into the darkness, spotting a sliver of light shining in through the curtains. It was morning, so why was it so cold? He curled up against Frisk, who seemed unbothered by the chill in the room. Papyrus sort of liked the familiarity of it though; his room back in Snowdin was often chilly.

While he wasn't uncomfortable with the cold temperature, he did prefer the warmth that Frisk gave off. He huddled them against his chest for a few moments, sighing happily as they snuck their head under his chin. He held them there for a moment, before finally his curiosity woke him up enough for him to carefully sneak out of the sheets.

Frisk didn't wake as he left, which he was grateful for. He felt generous today, so he decided to let them sleep in a bit more. He pried open the curtain and peeked through, momentarily blinded by the harsh white light that seemed to shine from every direction. His eyes adjusted, but still, all he could see was whiteness.

Snow. It was snowing.

Fat white snowflakes gently drifted to the snow covered ground. The roads were packed with slush and poorly plowed banks of snow rose on the sidewalks. There didn't seem to be any wind and the atmosphere was quite gentle.The sky was as white as the ground, and Papyrus was amazed by the brightness of it. Once again, the sky managed to leave him breathless.

"FRISK! WAKE UP! IT'S SNOWING!" Papyrus bounced up and down on the bed excitedly, pulling down the blankets. Frisk immediately shivered, curling up and glaring tiredly at him. "What..?" "SNOW! THERE'S SNOW OUTSIDE! IT'S JUST LIKE SNOWDIN!" Papyrus was too impatient for them to slowly get up, so instead he scooped the up into his arms. "Ah! Papyrus, stop! It's cold in here!" Frisk protested as he carried them to the window, "LOOKIE!"

Frisk blinked in pain at the brightness, but their eyes quickly adjusted. They hummed, "wow, it's _really_ snowing out there." "I'VE NEVER SEEN IT FALL FROM THE SKY BEFORE! AND IT'S SO SPARKLY IN THE SUNLIGHT! EVEN _SNOW_ IS BETTER ON THE SURFACE!" Frisk finally brightened up, relaxing in his hold with a grin, "it _is_ quite pretty, isn't it?" "VERY! I'M GOING TO MAKE A HUNDRED SNOW PAPYRUS'! NYEH HEH HEH!" He bounced excitedly, and Frisk laughed, "I suppose we could play in the snow for a while, unless you think it would be a... waste of our time?"

While they were being considerate of their prior conversation, Papyrus could also see a sly look in their eye. They already knew what his answer would be. "IT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL USE OF OUR TIME! OUR PLANS CAN WAIT A FEW HOURS! I'VE MISSED SNOW SO MUCH SINCE I MOVED TO THE CAPITAL!"

Frisk seemed pleased, and once Papyrus put them down, they ran to the bathroom to change into their new, warm clothes. Papyrus decided to make some breakfast before they went out. He didn't need Frisk running out of energy because they were hungry!

Frisk dashed out of the bathroom, already wearing their coat. "Are we going now?" "BREAKFAST FIRST! GO SIT AT THE TABLE!" Frisks energy faded and looked grumpily at him, shoulders falling as they stomped over to and plopped carelessly into their chair. They leaned forward and planted their face into the table, arms spread out across its surface.

Papyrus brought the small meal to them but he hesitated, not seeing much room on the table around their head and arms. "ERM... DO YOU MIND SITTING UP?" Frisk propped their chin on the table, frowning up at him from under their eyelashes. They didn't respond otherwise. "COME ON!"

They sighed and moved, Papyrus handing them their food and watching as they wolfed it down. He laughed at their eagerness, "YOU GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU WEREN'T HUNGRY, NYEH HEH HEH!" They eyed him, and spoke through a food-stuffed face, "I just wanted to go _now_." Papyrus waved a hand. "WE MUST TAKE THE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES."

\---

Papyrus didn't want to wear his disguise because it'd restrict him from playing in the snow to his _full potential_ , but he knew it was necessary. He didn't complain as he pulled on the wig and medical mask, hesitating at the sunglasses. "Oh, don't worry about it. The snow is super bright," Frisk had advised when he voiced his concern. "if anyone asks, just say your eyes are sensitive."

Upon stepping outdoors, Frisk put one mittened hand inside their pocket, and the other closed around his hand. "We should go to the park. It's not too far, and it would be more normal to play there than anywhere else." They tugged on his hand and pulled him forwards. The two walked along the poorly plowed sidewalk, watching as cars struggled to stay in control on the icy roads. Papyrus was surprised; he hadn't expected snow to be such a problem for cars.

They turned into a large empty field, where already some humans were rolling snowmen and making snow angels in the undisturbed snow. Two young humans a ways away were having a snowball fight.

"Here we are!" Frisk announced, eyes wide with excitement. "We should keep our distance from those other guys, but apart from that, we got this whole place to ourselves." Papyrus grinned excitedly. "I'M A MASTER AT MAKING SNOW VERSIONS OF ME! I'M GOING TO MAKE THE MOST IMPRESSIVE ONE YET!"

Frisk eyed him competitively, "I bet I could make something pretty neat, too!" "YOU SHOULD MAKE YOURSELF!" "Sure! we'll see who makes the best snowman of ourselves!" Without waiting for a reply, Frisk dashed off into the snowbanks, and Papyrus immediately followed. He wasn't sure if this was a race or not, but getting his done first would probably give him bonus points either way. He wouldn't lose!

He rolled and patted up a base with ease. He knew _just_ how to make the snow work to his advantage. As he built up his chest, he pondered on whether or not he should add the disguise or not. He decided against it, building up his battle body instead. He much prefered that outfit anyway, and nobody would guess that he was making himself.

He remembered one of the dog sentries that used to be _amazing_ at making snow dogs. Lesser Dog, Papyrus remembered being his title. The dog was a part of the royal guard, but all the canine monster did was build amazing sculptures out of snow. Papyrus had never bothered to try and compete with that. Life-sized replicas of himself were good enough. He regretted never asking the dog for tips, though. He felt saddened, remembering that the dog was one of the monsters that he knew was nothing but dust now. Frisk had still been dangerous back then.

He frowned. He slowed in his efforts but he did not let himself stop. He felt the human soul empower him; he felt driven. He continued building, never stopping. He tried hard to focus on the snow, and not the worrying thoughts that continued to keep coming back no matter how much he told them not to. He was on the surface. He was finding a peaceful way to break the barrier. Frisk was good now, all thanks to him. He should be happy.

Frisk rushed over as he was finishing the replica of his skull. Their face was flushed in the cold, and their nose seemed to be running. They wiped their nose on their sleeve as they glanced up at his sculpture. Their mouth dropped open in shock, eyes shining. "It's amazing, Papyrus... it looks just like you..."

He grinned proudly at their reaction. "WHY THANK YOU, FRISK! HE IS QUITE THE HANDSOME DEVIL, ISN'T HE?" He admired his work, happy that his skills with snow were still somewhat intact after these few months. He turned to them, "WELL, ARE YOU READY TO LET ME SEE YOUR WORK?" Frisk smiled sheepishly wringing their soggy mittens together, "I guess... I can tell that it's not as good as yours though.." "SO YOU ALREADY ADMIT DEFEAT! NYEH HEH!" Papyrus laughed jokingly, but he kindly followed them as they lead him to their snowman.

He spotted it, and he couldn't help but smile. It wasn't professionally built (unlike his of course) but it was very cute. It looked more like a caricature of Frisk than a replica. They had built it shorter than themself, and the wide eyes and grin made them look very cheerful. He noted that clothes they used were the ones they had worn in the underground. They had made a small heart shape on their collarbone to mimic their locket. He thought it was absolutely adorable.

"IT LOOKS GREAT, FRISK! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, SAYING IT'S NOT AS GOOD AS MINE!" He thought it was one of the cutest little sculptures he had ever seen. Frisk flushed deeper that they already were, their whole face going red. "You really like it?" Papyrus nodded, "YOU'RE QUITE THE ARTIST! SO TALENTED!" He sat in the snow before it, and they slumped down beside him. "I didn't think it was very good," they admitted quietly. Papyrus ruffled their hair. "IT'S AMAZING," he said gently, "IF I DIDN'T KNOW BETTER I'D SAY YOU'VE DONE THIS HUNDREDS OF TIMES." The human looked away, embarrassed at his praise.

They suddenly looked up at him and grinned. "Well, I guess I've had some practice making snowballs." Papyrus nodded encouragingly, "REALLY? WHY DO YOU ONLY MAKE THOSE?" They quickly made one. Frisk stood up in a hurry, poised as if preparing to flee. "Because of _this!"_ They shot the ball at him so hard it almost hurt, before scampering off, cackling gleefully. Papyrus brushed the snow off his shirt, and stood. "I SEE, SO THAT'S HOW YOU WANNA PLAY IT?" He grabbed some snow and formed his own snowball, chasing after them. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT, FRISK!" Frisk erupted into excited giggling, dodging his throw. "You're gonna have to try harder than that!" They mocked him, turning and throwing their own snowball. They missed.

Eventually- due to Frisks legs being too short to outrun Papyrus- he caught them, lifting them off the ground. Frisk squealed with laughter. They wrestled themself from his grip by stuffing a snowball into his face, laughing as they escaped. He sputtered as they ran off, covering his face with his hands. He dipped his head, hoping nobody would see as he removed the sunglasses and wiped them on his sleeve. Frisks laughter was cut short.

Hesitantly, he heard their footsteps approached him. "Papyrus? I didn't ruin your disguise, did I?" Papyrus didn't reply, placing the glasses back onto his face. He could see Frisks feet; they were standing right in front of his crouched figure. "Papyrus?"

"AH HA!" Papyrus announced, wrapping his arms around Frisks back and standing up. They gasped in surprise as he held them against him. "I'VE CAPTURED YOU AGAIN!" Frisk then giggled, wrapping their arms around his neck instead of struggling. "Oh noo," they mumbled sarcastically, "I'm trapped!"

Papyrus laughed, shifting his arms to carry them properly. He hummed, peering at their flushed face and runny nose."WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO HOME NOW, HUH? YOU'RE GETTING PRETTY COLD." "aww..." Frisk seemed inclined to protest, but they didn't struggle as he started walking back to the hotel.

When they passed a few people on the sidewalk, Frisk pushed away. "Put me down, I'm too old to be carried around like this." Papyrus shook his head, gripping them more stubbornly. "NO, I LIKE CARRYING YOU!" Frisk huffed. They didn't seem like they really wanted to be put down anyway, so they sighed and let themself be carried.

Upon returning to the room, Frisk grabbed a blanket from the bed and curled up on the couch. He grinned as he sat down beside them, glad to be out of his heavy cumbersome clothes and disguise. The human wrapped the blanket around him too, but he shifted away. "I'M NOT EXACTLY WARM," he said, concerned about their wellbeing, "IT'D BE BEST FOR YOU IF I GOT MY OWN BLANKET. I'LL GO GET IT!" He moved to stand but they grabbed his arm stubbornly. Frisk shook their head, wordlessly insisting that he stay.

He sighed, knowing them, they'd only continue to insist if he didn't. "FINE." He plopped back down and let them sidle up next to him.

They watched TV together as Frisk gradually warmed up, and Frisk even used their cell phone to pull some small warm snacks from their dimensional box; Cinnamon Bunnies. The atmosphere was cozy, and while the room was still cold, it felt warm under the blanket. Papyrus wondered if it took a lot of work for Frisk to constantly be emitting so much heat all the time, especially without using magic. Humans were so peculiar.

Frisk shifted against him and he peered down. They smiled at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. More and more he found himself noticing how adorable they were. They suddenly blushed and he panicked for a moment; could they read his thoughts!?

But they only grabbed the blanket tighter, and snuggled closer to him. He didn't know why they always acted as if he was comfortable to lean against. Bones were stiff and even pointy in some places; Frisk should be uncomfortable next to him, but instead they always seemed to be cozy.

"Papyrus..?" Frisk mumbled quietly, eyes shyly meeting his. He smiled wider, amused at their sudden bashfulness. "YES..?" They blushed deeper, as if embarrassed by what they wanted to say. "Um..." they hesitated, "you're my favourite person. I... I love you." It seemed to take all their strength to not look away.

He blinked, unsure if they meant it romantically or not. "I LOVE YOU TOO, FRISK. YOU'RE MY COOL FRIEND!" He wrapped an arm around them, which was something that was starting to feel more and more familiar to him.

They seemed to be very happy with that response, but hesitance lingered in their gaze. "Even after how bad I... was..? You still... love me?" Papyrus raised an eyebrow at the question. "OF COURSE! EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE! LOOK HOW GOOD YOU ARE NOW. YOU PUT THE EFFORT IN TO BE BETTER, AND NOW YOU ARE! YOU'RE A GREAT PERSON NOW, FRISK." The human finally looked away, and he could no longer see their face. "...thank you," they mumbled softly. He wasn't sure if he had imagined it or not, but he felt like he could hear guilt in their voice.

He hugged them, and they stuffed their face into his collarbone, hands gripping his ribs almost desperately. He wondered if they felt burdened by the things they had done. He always felt so responsible for what they did, that he usually forgot that _they_ could regret their actions too.

Frisk deserved forgiveness, especially if they wanted it. They loved him, so that meant that they could value life again, right? Maybe they could suddenly understand the weight of what they had done. He couldn't be sure, but the quiet child that clung to him had to be feeling _something_.

No matter what Frisk did, he had to be there for them. They didn't have anybody else. They needed someone who could love them unconditionally. No matter what.

The human slowly let go, and turned their attention back to the show on TV. Papyrus felt a warm tenderness grow in his soul. He wanted to swoop the little kid up and hug the breath out of them. For the first time, he felt affection towards the human even as he acknowledged the horrible things they had done in Snowdin. Now he truly felt like he could love them no matter who they were or what they did. He really _had_ helped them after all. Frisk was a good person now because of _him_.

Frisk continued to curl up against his side, their hands looped around the arm that he draped across their shoulders. They rested their head on his ribs. He was very comfortable here. Frisk slowly fell asleep against him, and to his surprise, Papyrus started drowsing off too. He had never had a nap before, and he struggled to stay awake in hopes of avoiding it.

They hadn't even had lunch yet! If Frisk woke up with a growling stomach, it'd be all his fault! He couldn't take a nap- there was so much stuff to get done today! They were going to start working on breaking the barrier today! Who knows how much time he'd waste on sleeping! It could be _hours_!

He refused to become like Sans. He _wasn't_ lazy.

He was just.... tired. He was _very_ tired.

Despite his protests he felt himself slipping, and he drooped his skull to rest on Frisks head. Maybe he could just shut his eyes for a few minutes...

The sound of the TV playing away in the background reminded him of the sound of Sans reading him a bedtime story. He didn't stand a chance against it. He was lulled to sleep.

\---

Papyrus woke up alone, wrapped up in the blanket and laying on his back across the couch. He propped his head up curiously, looking around for Frisk. He expected to find them at the table perhaps, but they were nowhere in sight. He sat up properly, pulling off the blanket. He didn't even notice the chill of the room as he looked around the room, concern filling his mind.

Where were they? 

_'Hey, it's probably nothing-'_ the soul said, trying to calm his quickly worrying thoughts- ' _they're probably just... in the bathroom or something. Maybe getting a snack from the kitchen._ '

Papyrus stood, massaging his ribs through his sweater. ' _YOU'RE RIGHT... YOU'RE RIGHT,'_ he thought, trying to calm his nerves. He stepped over to the bathroom, finding that its door was open. ' _NOT THERE.'_ He peeked into the kitchen, and it was untouched.

_'Maybe they went out to get something. They'll be back soon. Just don't freak out, kids hate it when adults freak out about stuff like this.'_ The human soul was a child after all, they would know. They knew how to handle this. He took a deep breath, and nodded. ' _FRISK CAN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELF. THEY USED TO LIVE ON THE SURFACE WITHOUT ANY HELP AT ALL. IT'S FINE,'_ he reasoned to himself, the soul shimmering in its agreement.

Without Frisk, though, he had nothing to do in the hotel room. All he could do was wait for them to come back. He sat back on the couch, bouncing his legs nervously. ' _You can watch TV with me while you wait?'_ The soul suggested. He didn't want to watch TV. He wanted to go out; he wanted to find Frisk; he wanted to find a way to break the barrier. He didn't want to be sitting around in a room doing nothing. Where would Frisk need to go without telling him? Why didn't they wake him up?

_'Call them on the phone-'_ the soul said- ' _ask them where they went.'_ Papyrus nodded, searching himself for his phone, ' _GOOD IDEA."_ He picked through his pockets, before making a worrying discovery. ' _I... I MUST'VE LEFT IT IN THE UNDERGROUND! NYOO, THIS IS WHAT I GET FOR RUSHING MY DECISIONS...'_ He crossed his arms, stomping his foot angrily. ' _NOW WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!?'_

_'Hey, I know-'_ the soul said- 'Y _ou could make lunch! Or supper... what time is it?'_ He peered at a digital clock on the wall learning that he had been asleep for only two hours. ' _Lunch, then.'_ The soul said. he made no move towards the kitchen. He normally jumped at the opportunity to cook something, but he still felt really worried. What if they needed his help? ' _Well unless you plan on getting lost out there in the city, this is the only useful thing you can do.'_ Papyrus sighed. Why did the soul always have to be so reasonable?

' _BUT... BUT WHAT IF FRISK DOESN'T COME BACK? THEY COULD BE IN DANGER!!'_ The soul hummed- ' _you said it yourself. They'll be fine. They know what they're doing. Plus I'd say the underground is more dangerous to a human than this place.'_ Papyrus hated to agree with them, but he complied, albeit hesitantly. He honestly would rather go out and get lost looking for Frisk, if only because it'd make him feel better.

He decided to try making a stir-fry, using the ingredients that he had leftover. He also made sure to look at the recipe, at the humans demand. They seemed suddenly very adamant about how they do this. The human soul demanded that he do it a different way than how Undyne had taught him.

_'Don't smash the vegetables, cut them up.' 'BUT UNDYNE ALWAYS SMASHES THEM...' 'Try it this way, just this once. This isn't spaghetti, it works differently.'_ He eventually decided to listen- but only because the soul suggested they take control of his body and do it themself. He didn't want them to do that, no matter how selfish it seemed. So he did as he was told.

The food sizzled in the pan, and as he added the spices he found that it made the kitchen smell lovely. ' _THIS IS GREAT! WHEN FRISK GETS BACK, THEY'LL BE SO SURPRISED!'_   He bounced excitedly as he finished cooking the meal. He had everything set up so nicely. He was truly a master chef! 

_'Now we just have to wait until Frisk comes back...'_ Papyrus nodded. ' _I WONDER HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN OUT..'_ He checked the clock again. It was almost two hours since he had woken up. How long had it been since Frisk snuck off?

Papyrus moved to stare out the window, hoping to spot Frisks small blue clothes in the sea of people. But no bob of brown hair or puffy blue coat ever belonged to the right person. If Frisk was here they'd be telling him to not be so close to the window, afraid that someone might see him. But he didn't care. He wanted to know if they were alright. He anxiously awaited their return.

Click!

Papyrus jumped at the sound of the door unlocking, and he whirled around as the door creaked open. "FRISK!" He sighed in relief, moving across the room swiftly to reach them. As the door opened wider and he caught sight of his small little human, he froze in his tracks.

They were disheveled as if they had been attacked. They stared up at him with wide, red eyes. Held tightly in their small left hand was a bloody kitchen knife, and floating innocently behind them, was six human souls. 

\---

Navy. Orange. Yellow. Green. Purple... Red. The six souls illuminated the small human child that stood before him.

Their hands and sweater was bloody. Small red handprints stretched across their chest as if they had tried to wipe the blood off. They weren't wearing their coat, and there was no snow in their hair. So they hadn't left the building.

They stared up at Papyrus, their eyes unbelievably emotionless. He couldn't move, couldn't react at all. The fear he had once banished had returned full blast. No longer did he see any love in those wide red eyes. Emptiness once again stared back at him.

They had killed six humans.

While they were standing before him and staring at him, he wondered if they could really see him. They seemed to almost stare right through him. It felt like the two of them were back in Snowdin, except this time there was blood on their hands instead of dust.

What... what happened to the Frisk he grew to love? Why would they do this after promising to help him find a better way? What could he possibly _say to them!?_

All he could do was stare back, eyes wide and shell-shocked. Sans at least seemed to feel guilty- seemed to fear what Papyrus would say. Sans had at least given him a reaction. All the human did was blink.

"...Nobody caught me." They said, shutting the door behind them. The souls followed as if tethered by an invisible string. "But it won't be long before the bodies are found." Their voice was flat, lacking any warmth or love that it held so often. They approached him, and he took a step back. They flinched at his reaction.

"I'm sorry," they said, but their voice was still bland and empty, "I promised I wouldn't hold you back anymore. The monsters need saving, and we cannot delay anymore than we already have. I am _years_ overdue." their voice sounded so different like this, he wasn't sure this was even the same person.

"We have been stalling for too long. So I... I took the burden from you." They raised their hands towards him, offering the souls. "You don't need to hurt anyone, Papyrus. It's all over now. We can free everyone with these." Papyrus took another step back, still unable to force any sounds from his mouth.

They frowned, suddenly emotion was splayed out across their face. Hurt. It was as if they were alive again. They clenched their fists, trying to hold their emotions back.

"Come on. Don't be scared. I won't hurt you... I... I like you, remember?" Thoughts raced in his head, making him feel like he was spinning. Did they? He didn't think he could trust their words anymore. He felt betrayed, but not only because of what Frisk had just done.

He realized that he had been right about Frisk all along.

They did not become a better person after they spared him. This was proof enough of that. They had not stopped killing monsters. They killed Asgore. They must've... killed Undyne, and Mettaton, and... And all the other monsters that disappeared. So many monsters had disappeared.

Finally he found it in him to speak. "SO YOU... YOU _DID_ KILL THEM. THE MONSTERS THAT DISAPPEARED... THEY'RE ALL DEAD." Frisk paused, but then nodded, "yes. You're the only monster I fought... that I let go." Papyrus was silent, feeling his dizziness intensify. He couldn't handle this. He felt his knees go weak under him, but he managed to stay on his feet.

Frisk took another step forwards, red eyes shimmering. "But that's not important, now! We can free everyone! You can be a hero! And all you need to do... to get all you've ever wanted... is _use these souls_!" He was barely even able to hear the words they were saying.

Frisk stepped closer again, ushering the six souls to drift towards him; and all of a sudden he could feel something horrible and dark pulsating from the human in waves. It was their LOVE. It was overpowering, suffocating. It was stronger than he had ever thought possible. Frisk was bad. They were so, _so_ _bad._

The human soul flared up aggressively in his chest. They filled his mind with one, solitary command- ' _GET OUT OF HERE!'_

He wasn't sure if it was him or the soul that controlled his body as he broke out of his stupor. He shoved past Frisk and ripped the heavy door open so hard it that it slammed against the wall. Papyrus heard Frisk call after him as he bolted down the hall- "Papyrus! Wait! You- you're disguise!" but his mind was so fuddled that he couldn't understand their words.

His and the humans soul were beating together like drums in his chest. His mind was empty of anything but the adrenaline that the human soul washed over him. He had to get away, _now._

He didn't know if Frisk was following him, and he didn't care. He flew by two humans as he raced towards the stairs, not even noticing the screams they let out at the sight of him. He hadn't bothered to use the stairs before, but now he was charging down them, skipping over fives steps at a time as he descended. He hit the ground floor and bashed open the door with his shoulder, which drew some eyes. Terrified screams echoed through the lobby as he shot towards the exit.

The sheer amount of screaming made him stop, realizing what he had done by running away like this. What was he doing? He could get killed! The soul flared up again, shining visibly through his shirt. A few humans saw and screamed louder.

_'FRISK could kill you! Either way you could die! So just run, Papyrus! Don't stop, just RUN!'_

He complied, shooting off again and flying out into the snowy streets. He sprinted down the sidewalk, slipping in the ice and falling to his knees. He paused for a moment, gasping at the ground as his mind attempted to catch up to what was happening. The human soul buzzed in his brain, urging him to get up and continue fleeing. He didn't notice the frightened eyes that were drawn to him anymore.

The soul took control and made him push himself up onto his feet. They rushed him down the sidewalk. He had no idea where he was going, but he didn't care. Terrified screams followed in his wake as he progressively got farther and farther away from the hotel. The human soul tried to find a way out of the city, but they couldn't remember where Mt. Ebott was. Neither of them had half a mind left to think about where they were supposed to go.

Finally he stopped, panting heavily and he felt like he was dying. The human soul let go of control and strained anxiously against his ribs- _where are we?_ He looked up and blinked anxiously. He was standing in an area he had never been to before. A huge building stood before him- ' _a mall,'_ the human soul supplied. They sounded exhausted.

He felt eyes on him, hundreds of eyes. He looked around, suddenly realizing that he was surrounded by many petrified humans, all staring at him in a way that brought shivers down his spine. As if he was a beast. As of he had done what Frisk had. They were all frozen in place, all too frightened to even run away.

Until one of them screamed- "a _Monster_!" Immediately everyone started screaming, some humans running away and some pointing at him as they cowered. "Monster!" "A Monster!" "Oh my God!" "A Skeleton Monster!" "Help me!" "Save me!" "It's a Monster!"

Humans all around him screamed and called for help, and some took initiative, drawing closer. A mob of humans overtook him. Fists startled flying and he didn't know where they were coming from. Hands from all directions grabbed at him, hit him, pulled at his clothes and his arms.

He should've fought back, but he couldn't move; his body wouldn't budge. He didn't know what to do. He had nowhere to run- there was no opening for escape. He- he _had_ to run, he _had_ to get home to the Underground; but he was hopelessly lost and suddenly he _couldn't breath_. His vision blurred, and the humans' screams and curses were obscured by a sudden ringing in his ears.

_'No! We- we can find a way out of this! It's fine! I swear, Papyrus, calm down! Please!'_ The soul screamed in his mind. _'M- maybe you should give me control again!'_ But they couldn't overpower his thoughts as each washed over him and drowned out their words. The dam keeping them all at bay was shattered.

He keeled over into the snow no longer able to stand. Feet stared to kick at him. He buried his skull in his hands. His uneasy breaths wracked his body with violent shudders. He shut his eyes, trying to block out the world.

Frisk hadn't changed at all- Undyne is dead- Sans killed a child- Frisk killed _everyone-_ Mettaton is dead- Six humans are dead- all because of him- He couldn't save anyone- Everyone was dead- Everyone- Everyone was afraid of him- His fault- Everyone hated him- He couldn't save anyone- Frisk had killed _so many people_ \- His fault- Everyone was dead- He was all alone- He was lost- He was afraid- He was going to die- Everyone was- Everyone was-! 

Suddenly a voice rung out amongst the shouting. "Papyrus!" Someone was calling out his name. "Papyrus!" The voice sounded terrified... and angry. Frisk had found him.

He flinched, suddenly aware of the world around him. But he still couldn't move, couldn't even turn to face the one who called his name. "Stop it! _Stop hurting him_!" The voice was suddenly _furious,_ and he curled in in himself tighter at the sound. The hands and feet that had been attacking him suddenly ceased. 

Frisks voice was now right in front of him, the child standing between him and the other humans. "If anyone lays _ONE MORE HAND_ on him I will _KILL THEM!!"_  They shouted over the ruckus, "now _GET OUT OF HERE_ and _leave us_ _ALONE!"_ The humans shouting fell away, but Papyrus could hardly tell. The ringing in his ears was still too loud for him to ignore. 

He felt a burningly warm hand on his shoulder. It was a gentle gesture that slightly soothed his mind, but the LOVE that he could sense radiating from that hand made him curl in on himself tighter.

He didn't want Frisk to be the one that soothed him. Anyone else. _Please..._

"Papyrus..." Frisk brought their hands to his face, grabbing his chin and lifting him up. He kept his eyes shut. Their voice was the only sound that broke through the static. "...a- are you okay?" Their voice shook in fright, and the oddity of that made him pry his eyes open to look at them.

He half expected to see wide red eyes grinning emotionlessly at him. That or a blank, soulless stare. He was ready to see bloody hands and clothes. He half expected them to kill him; to finish what the other humans had started. He expected the bloody knife to slash his head from his shoulders. The thought in his mind felt so real. He didn't want to die.

But instead Frisk was wearing their coat over their ruined shirt, hiding the blood from sight. They wore mittens over their bloody hands, but he could see redness seeping through the mittens from within. The six souls were no longer hovering over them.

The human stared down at him, alarm in their wide eyes. They gently wiped at his cheeks with trembling thumbs. It was that gesture that made him realize he had been crying. Frisk looked on the verge of tears themself. 

His mind was strangely empty now. He felt numb. The ringing in his skull had faded. "I have you're disguise here... I- um- I'm glad you're okay... When I saw all those humans attacking you, I..." Their voice broke and they fell into silence. They smiled weakly at him, but he didn't react to it. He didn't think he could trust that smile anymore. They could still lie to him. They could still kill him. 

Frisk lifted his wig and placed in on his head, then covered his face with the mask and glasses. They fitted his hat over his wig. The humans surrounding them were quiet, and watched curiously. Frisk helped him stand, pulling him to his feet. They held his hand with their stained one as they ushered him to follow. "Come on, Papyrus... It'll be okay... just.. try to calm down..."

He stumbled after them, lost in his own mind. The human soul was finally able to speak over his thoughts; ' _where are they taking us? Why are you following them? Shouldn't we run from them? Papyrus?'_ He didn't reply. 

All he could think about was dust. Everyone was just... dust. ...He had never gotten to say goodbye to Undyne...

Six humans were dead, all because he decided that it was safe to _take a nap._ What lives had they all lived? Did they have loved ones? Families? Jobs and dreams? How old had they all been? Someone would miss them. Someone would mourn them. Were they conscious right now, like the cyan soul; the soul that sat in his ribcage and struggled for his attention? Were they all scared? Lost? Did they know what had happened to them?

He hadn't been able to save anyone at all. 

No humans followed as he left; they all just stared after him as Frisk lead him away. Some humans pulled out their phones and started calling people, murmurs of confusion and scepticism ran through the crowd. The humans had no idea what to do about a monster being sighted for the first time in centuries.

Slowly he was moved away from the crowd, and Frisk walked him down the sidewalk. They began passing by oblivious humans who hadn't heard the racket. Eventually they got far enough away that nobody looked his way anymore. 

Frisk stopped him before a bench and pushed him down onto it, sitting beside him despite the thick layer of snow that had accumulated on it. The human  _had_ to be uncomfortable, but Papyrus didn't say anything about it. The two of them were silent. 

He felt Frisk push 2G into his hands insistently. The bus... huh? As the large vehicle arrived, he did as he had done only a few short days ago, and followed Frisk onto the bus.

It started off down the road, and the two of them sat together. The wheels crunched over snow and ice, rolling farther and farther from the center of the city. No words were shared between them. Papyrus blankly staring at the empty seat in front of him. He didn't want to look out the window. ' _Are they taking us back to Mt. Ebott?'_  The soul asked nervously. He didn't reply to them.

Did any of those six humans have plans for today? Was there something they were supposed to be doing right now that they'd never get to do? 

He thought about the food he had made for Frisk only a few minutes prior. His plans had been ruined too. ...He thought about how much he had grown to care about the small little human.

He peered down at them from the corner of his eye; watching as they held their hands in their lap, eyes downcast and unreadable. Maybe they honestly thought that they had helped him; and they wanted to spare him the guilt of being the one to kill the humans. Maybe they very well knew what this would do to him, and still did it anyway... because they hated him. He wasn't sure whether either alternative meant he should've reacted differently. 

The bus pulled out into the forest, rumbling down rocky roads that lead towards the mountain. He peered at it. In his panic he had been trying to find a way to get home as quickly as possible. But now he wanted to never return. He'd return to the monsters with their freedom, but at what cost? The lives of seven humans was not worth this, let alone the hundreds of monsters that Frisk had emotionlessly discarded of. He didn't want to go back. Not like this.

The bus rolled to a stop and Frisk pulled him to his feet, gently guiding him off the bus. He silently let them. They climbed the mountain, Frisk never letting go of his hand. They were clearly afraid that if they did, he'd run off again. The child pulled him away from the path at the familiar spot, and they climbed over rocks and snow to reach Frisks cave. 

Frisk slipped on some ice as they climbed off a rock, and he caught them instinctively. He pulled them into his arms for a moment, and they cautiously smiled up at him. "Th... thanks," They said softly. He hastily placed them back on their feet without a word. They frowned- and oh, even now he hated knowing that he had hurt their feelings.

But didn't they deserve the silent treatment? After they hurt so many people? What was he supposed to _do?_

They arrived at the plateau where the rock leveled off and dipped into the cave. The area was covered in snow, and Frisk proceeded to kick a small patch of it away so they could sit on the cold stone. They shivered in the cold, the wind so high up was bitter and harsh. He pulled off his disguise and dropped it into the snow. He didn't need it now.

"Come here," they cooed at him, ushering for him to step closer. He continued to watch them, silent and unmoving. Once again he was unsure of what to do around them. 

They sighed, hurt flickering across their face as they turned away. Pulling off their mittens, they washed their bloody hands in the snow, leaving dried brown blotches in it. They pulled off their coat and- shivering in the cold- they removed the blue sweater with the single stripe. They stared at it, eyes roving over the stains, before they put it in their dimensional box and pulled out the sweater they had worn back when he first met them. Even from the place he stood across the plateau, he could see all the dust that lay upon it.

They put it in their lap and fished out another sweater; it was clean, and they pulled it on. Zipping up their coat, they stood, holding the dusty sweater in their hands. They reached the dusty sweater out towards him. "Come here, Papyrus. There's... there's something I want you to see." 

Hesitantly, he finally stepped forwards. An empty, bare kind of sorrow filling him as he gazed at the clothing. He stood before them, and they nervously peered at his shoes."Sit down... p-please," they murmured. They seemed almost afraid of him.

He knelt in the snow before them, gazing at the dust that he knew must belong to many, many monsters. None of the dust could be told apart. How could each have a proper funeral? They wouldn't want their remains to stay on this dirty old shirt, surely. Frisk pointed to a dark patch on the sweater; it looked to have been stained with something that was once wet. It wasn't dust, but it wasn't blood either. 

"That's Undyne's," Frisk said, eyes avoiding his. "She refused to die, so instead of turning to dust, she just... melted." Papyrus blinked, tilting his head in confusion. "MELTED?" Frisk jumped at the sound of his voice, startled. But they continued. "Y- yeah. She... She had no HP left, but she kept fighting anyway. I've never met a monster with so much determination before." 

Determination?

"I thought... that you'd like to know. That she... was very heroic." Papyrus stared at the spot, barely able to even comprehend that  _that_  was his friend. A small stain on the humans shirt was all that was left of her. He wanted to cry, but nothing came to him. No tears, no emotions... Nothing.

Frisk nervously put the shirt away. They stepped back, moving farther from him. They seemed to expect him to yell, bracing themself. Papyrus turned away and sat down in the snow instead.

Should he even say anything? Was this their way of making it up to him? Telling him that his friend had died with honour? How was he supposed to react to any of this? He didn't even want to think about it. He didn't want to think about her.

"...YOU PROMISED YOU'D HELP ME FIND ANOTHER WAY, FRISK. YOU KNEW HOW MUCH THIS MEANT TO ME," he glanced at them, but they only turned away, giving him their back. "WHY? WHY DID YOU HURT THOSE PEOPLE? WHY DID YOU HURT ALL THOSE MONSTERS AFTER I TRIED TO HELP YOU?" He felt tears finally welling in the back of his eye sockets, but he willed them away. 

Frisk crossed their arms over their chest, and he could see them shivering... Trembling? They paused and turned around. Cradled in their small hands was the last thing that he would have ever expected; a monster soul. Its bright white light shone across Frisks face. He felt his jaw drop. Who was that? Whose soul had Frisk been holding onto all this time? 

They seemed conflicted as they stepped up to him, holding the soul as if anticipating it to break. Knowing monster souls, it probably would. "This is... Asgore's soul," they murmured. 

He stared at it. Asgore had been with them this entire time? Similar to how the human soul was in him? ...What did the King think of him? 

"Through his soul, I can feel his burdens, his regrets. His fear. Before I showed up, he had killed six human children," they sighed, looking at the soul mournfully, "he didn't want to hurt anyone... He wanted more than anything to... to raise each human as his own. I can feel his pain... his self-hatred at what he's done."

Papyrus stared at them, amazed at how they seemed to be reverting back into the Frisk that he knew so well. Their voice cracked as they tried to keep it steady. "But there was nothing else he could do. There was no other way to free the monsters. There was no other way to keep the monsters from giving up. It was his job to keep everyone hopeful, and no matter the sacrifices he'd have to make... he had to do it." 

They pressed the soul against their chest and it sunk back into them with a pale glow. The reached a small hand up to him as if to hold his face, but they hesitated. Their hand instead hovered awkwardly in the air. "I can feel his misery, Papyrus. He... he couldn't stand hurting people anymore. Papyrus... I just... I just didn't want that for you," they sniffed loudly and wiped their nose on their sleeve. "I just wanted to spare you that burden... I could fulfill Asgore's job for him, and I could keep you from... needing to be as broken as he is..." Tears started slipping down the humans cheeks. 

Papyrus reached up and wipe Frisks tears away. They were burning. "BUT... YOU HAD NO PROBLEM KILLING MONSTERS BEFORE. WHY WOULD YOU CARE ABOUT SAVING THEM NOW?" Their eyes went wide and their expression filled with shock. Why were they so surprised?

They stared at him silently for a moment, sniffling. "It means so much to you... and to him. I want to free everyone _with you_. But I... I had to do it my way." They shut their eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry." 

Papyrus grumbled under his breath, frustration welling up inside him. "BUT WHY DID YOU DUST ALL THOSE MONSTERS? I DON'T UNDERSTAND." Frisk shook their head. "I... I can't tell you. It's just that... I had to." 

Papyrus sighed. He moved away from Frisk and sat in the snow, his mind unable to make much sense of anything. Frisk wasn't going to tell him why. What else were they hiding from him?

"It's... so cold out," Frisk said, drying their eyes, "you should break the barrier now." Papyrus shook his head, "NO." 

"What? Why not?" "I DON'T WANT TO... NOT LIKE THIS." Papyrus hugged his legs to his chest. "B- but it's the only way! Would you really waste these people's' deaths like this?" He flinched at that, turning his head away. 

"I... OKAY. BUT I DON'T WANT TO DO IT TODAY. LET'S JUST... WAIT. UNTIL... TOMORROW." Frisk deflated sadly. "O- okay. Um... Is there anything you want to do until tomorrow? It'll be a while. We could... make snowmen... again?" 

They were trying, but... "NO. I JUST WANT TO THINK FOR A WHILE."

Frisk stood anxiously at his side. "Oh... Okay." The human shifted from foot to foot, eyes roaming around the area helplessly. "DON'T LEAVE. STAY HERE." He said softly, afraid that they'd been thinking of running off. They stopped their restless movements. "I wasn't planning on leaving. I'll, um... I'll stay here." They fiddled awkwardly with their hands. 

"It's... _really_ cold up here..." Frisk crouched down and sat, facing away from him. They hugged their legs and sniffed. They were silent and unmoving apart from shivers that wracked their body.

Papyrus really didn't know what to think anymore. So, Frisk had changed, yes, but not enough. They were still... merciless. He couldn't trust them, could he? 

They had kept information from him; they were _still_ keeping information from him! They had killed so many... they had killed Undyne, and Mettaton, and Asgore, and all the dogs, and so many other monsters that he had and hadn't met. How could he just... forgive them?

He eyed them from the corner of his eye. They shivered violently despite the heavy coat they wore, and they held their golden flower in their hands to keep it from blowing away in the biting winds. 

He wouldn't be surprised if that golden flower was once the small little flower who used to say nice things to him. He found himself glaring at it. Wouldn't that be funny? Both Asgore and the flower had been right here this entire time. 

He deflated, his anger fizzling out. He'd never see Undyne again, thanks to Frisk. Yet he couldn't bring himself to hate them. He tried, he had tried back when they had been empty; when he had first met them. But he had never been able to hate them. Even looking at them now, tears brimming in their eyes and shivers making their body shake noisily against the rock... he couldn't feel anything but disappointment.

He had grown to love them, but was his love any good? Was he ever going to be enough to change them? Their LOVE was too high, and unconditional love or not, Frisk had distanced themself too far from others. They were too far gone to be saved... Right?

He recalled them holding his face, tears in their eyes. Them wiping his own tears from his face and asking if he was okay. Them visiting him everyday that he wanted, everyday that he was stressed or lonely. Them nervously anticipating his scrutiny on their snowman. Them crying. Them telling him that they had killed those humans _for him._

Frisk cared about what he thought of them. They cared about his safety. It was always about _him_. In their own deranged way, they thought that they had helped him; they thought they were sparing him the guilt of killing the humans himself.

So... they _did_ care about him, despite the LOVE? Was that enough for him to forgive them, even though they didn't want to tell him the full truth about themself? Papyrus wondered if they kept information from him because they were afraid of scaring him off even more.

' _AT THIS POINT_ ,' he thought grumpily, ' _THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE THEY COULD SAY THAT COULD MAKE ME LEAVE; IF I'M STILL HERE AFTER... THAT_.' The human soul seemed to agree- _'personally, I have no idea why you're not running away right now.'_ Papyrus sighed audibly, making Frisk flinch.

He _did_ care about them, even after all this. He didn't want to abandon them, even if he knew they deserved it. Maybe, instead, they just needed a bit more love. Maybe they needed to know that he'd stay even despite this, and then they'd realize that love was better than LOVE.

_'Or-'_ the soul interjected- ' _maybe they'll keep killing, knowing that you'll never leave them, no matter what they do; in fact, they literally just did that. You can't let them_ use _you like that.'_ ' _NO.'_ Papyrus thought stubbornly, ' _I MAY NOT KNOW FRISK AS WELL AS I THOUGHT I DID, BUT I- I STILL KNOW THEM. THEY'RE... NOT LIKE THAT.'_  

_'If you really think so,'_ the soul replied, huffing in frustration. 'B _ut just... be careful. I'm going to keep an eye out for any funny business from them. I won't let them get away with this again.'_

Papyrus didn't really want them to do that, but he supposed it would make him feel a bit safer, knowing that he had someone here that he _could_ trust to look out for him. He just wished he could talk to someone else about it, someone who wasn't a human...

Someone else..! He had an idea. 

But it made him feel a bit dirty. He'd have to lie to Frisk, and well... lying just wasn't something he enjoyed doing. _'They deserve it, Papyrus-'_ the human soul huffed. ' _They deserve somekind of punishment, don't you think?' 'I'M NOT TRYING TO PUNISH THEM!' 'Either way, don't feel so bad about it._ You _deserve to get the answers you want.'_ He thanked them for trying to make him feel better. They may not have agreed with his choices regarding Frisk, but they still supported him. _'I'M GLAD I'M NOT COMPLETELY ALONE....'_

Papyrus shifted to stand, approaching Frisks huddled form. They looked absolutely miserable in this weather. Snowdin had never been this cold and even with his lack of skin, Papyrus could tell that it was freezing. Frisk turned to him as he stepped closer, sniveling miserably. "Huh? Papyrus? What is it..?"

Before they could react, he reached down and lifted them up into his arms. They struggled at first, before they realized what was happening. They went stiff in his grasp. "Papyrus..?" 

"WE SHOULD GO IN THE CAVE NOW. YOU COULD GET SICK IF WE STAY OUT HERE MUCH LONGER." They blinked at him as he carried them into the small cavern. It was just big enough to shelter them both from the snow. The entrance made soft whistling noises as wind blew against it.

Holding the human against him, he was reminded of how warm their body was. Only his grim mood kept him from burying his face in their hair like he used to. He sat the two of them down against the farthest wall. They moved in an attempt to give him some space, but he held firmly onto their body. "NO. YOU SHOULD STAY HERE. I'M NOT AS WARM AS YOU ARE, BUT I'M WARMER THAN A STONE FLOOR." They smiled at him, relief flooding through them. He could feel their muscles relax as they slumped against his chest.

They sat in his arms calmly for a while, attempting to warm up. After a while their unease returned to them. They seemed to want to speak, constantly opening and closing their mouth. He nodded as an invitation for them to talk. They leaned closer to him. "L- look," they stammered, "I... I know you're upset. I'm sorry. I really am. I just... I don't want to lose you."

They attempted to hug him, but in their position they couldn't. They curled into his hold instead. "I really do l- love you, y'know. I... I wasn't lying to you, w- when I said I like spending t- time with you..." Their voice cracked and was wrought with shivers.

Frisk moved to gaze up at him desperately, eyes wide and the red swelling from their tears made their crimson irises shine strikingly. "You're not like the other monsters! You're familiar! you're _better_! You're... you're not forgettable... like every other monster is..." They shied away nervously.

Papyrus hummed, furrowing his brow. "WHAT ABOUT HUMANS? HOW CAN YOU KILL THEM WITHOUT SPARING EVEN A SECOND GLANCE?" They looked up at him, their wide eyes narrowing slightly as they frowned. "I hate humans." He couldn't give a reply to that. He merely stared at them. The two gazed at each other for a moment, neither knowing what to say.

Papyrus looked away first, sadness enveloping him like a blanket. "...WE SHOULD... SLEEP." "Huh?" Frisk blinked at him, eyes narrow and confused. "But... we already took a nap a few hours ago. You hate sleeping."

Papyrus nodded. "I DO. BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH ELSE TO DO, IS THERE? _YOU_ SHOULD SLEEP. MAYBE I'LL JUST... THINK SOME MORE." Frisk frowned, "you don't really like to think very much either..." He glared playfully at them, but his usual energy just wasn't in him. "HEY. THANKS TO YOU, I HAVE A LOT TO WORRY ABOUT NOW." Instead of retorting, they looked away dejectedly. "Oh... yeah. You're right... I'm sorry..."

He didn't bother to try and lighten them up. They curled up into his chest, shutting their eyes. He held them tighter, and they sniffed, struggling to subdue their tears. They muffled their cries as if the sounds would bother him. He watched silently as they gripped his shirt, hiding their face in the fabric.

He placed a hand on the back of their head, and they let out a sob. "It's just... so hard sometimes..." Their small hands trembled, failing to find stay sturdy. They found their grip against his ribs, curling their fingers between the bone. It felt odd.

"I'm j- just so tired of all this... of needing to keep doing this o- over and over... I just w- wanted to find a way to make them happy..." He petted their hair gently. He didn't understand what they were talking about. Make who happy? Maybe they were on the verge of opening up to him?

To his disappointment though, they didn't continue. Instead they sobbed silently into his clothes, muttering apologies until even that slowly drifted away. Their fingers loosened their grasp on his ribs. Frisk had cried themself to sleep.

Once he was sure they were out, he placed them on the floor of the cave as gently as he could. He brushed their hair from their face, and rubbed the back if his hand over their tear-stained cheek. They didn't looks quite so sad like this.

He hadn't expected them to break down like that. They seemed truly broken up about all this. But... on the other hand, they seemed unbothered by it. They were only upset about hurting his feelings, not about the death they had dealt. Their lack of compassion for anyone else was unnerving.

Papyrus stood, staring down at the human, their face relaxed and innocent. He recalled the emotionless, detached look they had sent him back in the hotel, less than an hour ago. He shivered. The difference was just too great.

He needed to go.

He left the cave and found the pathway, though it was covered and packed with snow. He trudged through it until he reached the highest plateau, the one he had stood on not even a week earlier. He turned to get another glimpse at the view, but he couldn't even see the city from here through all the fog and snow. The sky was turning white, as was the ground. Everything looked dead, and at the whims of the harsh weather. Snowdin had never looked like this.

Everything changed so quickly on the surface. In such a short amount of time, everything was different. In the underground, nothing ever changed... even when it did. Even when everyone was dead and he became the new king, nothing much had really changed at all. Everyone was a little bit sadder. He had a bit more responsibility than he was probably ever going to be ready for. But everything else still felt the same.

Papyrus turned, facing the barrier. He wasn't sure if he was ready to return to all the sameness after everything felt so new on the surface. But he had to. He needed to talk to Sans. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a good time


	8. Reunion

Papyrus entered the old throne room, the golden flowers stretching from wall to wall. The flowers had indeed wilted again, but not nearly as badly as before. Some crunched weakly as he stepped over them, and some still stayed healthily silent. "I HOPE YOU'VE ALL BEEN SHARING THE WATER EQUALLY." He found himself chastising them playfully. It was easier to pretend everything was okay when he was in here. He was tempted to water the flowers before continuing on, but he decided against it. This was no time to procrastinate.

He moved past the garden and approached the pathway to the house. Once everyone was free, these flowers would still be stuck underground. Should he dig them all up and bring them to the surface with him?

 _'I know you're planning on talking to Sans,'_ the soul mumbled dejectedly, _'So I'll try to not... involve myself.'_

 _'THANK_ _YOU, I'M GLAD YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP.'_ Papyrus thought back, feeling relieved at not needing to worry about them potentially lashing out at his brother. ' _I'm a pretty patient person, so you don't need to worry about me.'_ The soul then went silent, and he found himself smiling softly. They really did try very hard for him.

Papyrus was about to enter the Judgement Hall, when he heard sudden movement from behind him. For a moment, he thought it was Frisk.

"p- papyrus?"

Well... Sans never entered the room through a door that made sense.

He blinked, turning around. His eyes laid upon his brother, who stood with a stack of papers in his arms and a shocked, strained look on his face. Sans' bones seemed to lock up, almost as if he was afraid. ' _It's him...'_ the human soul growled angrily. Papyrus ignored them.

"you're back... huh?" He asked quietly, eyes roving over him, analysing him. Papyrus didn't know what he expected to find. "you're... you're hurt," he murmured. Oh.

Papyrus looked over himself for the first time since everything had happened. His clothes were completely ruined; covered in dirt and torn in a few places. His bones were bruised and those humans had taken out quite a lot of his HP. He hadn't really noticed how damaged he was until now. But.. that wasn't important. He looked back over at his brother and opened his mouth to speak. No words came out.

Papyrus didn't know what to say all of a sudden. He had everything all planned out, and it wasn't like they had been apart for very long. So he didn't expect the reunion to be quite so... tense. They hadn't separated on the best of terms, and it was clear that Sans was still affected by it. However, Sans' misdoings were irrelevant right now.

Sans tried to take up a more relaxed stance. "i missed you... um." He shifted the papers in his hands, suddenly unable to meet Papyrus' gaze, instead grinning blankly at the floor. "how was the... uh... the surface?" He started visibly sweating. Papyrus knew he should say something to reassure his brother that he wasn't mad, but he couldn't think of any way to say it.

"SANS," he said instead, stepping forward. "I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU. ABOUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT." "uh?" Sans seemed caught off guard, which was odd; Sans always seemed to take everything in stride.

"I... I HAVE THE SOULS NEEDED TO BREAK THE BARRIER." Sans blinked in shock, eyes wide. "what?" He hesitantly murmured, "you... you do? but you'd never..." He trailed off. Papyrus grimaced. "I WOULDN'T! BUT THAT'S WHAT I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT."

Sans nodded slowly, "okay, bro. just let me put this paperwork down and we can talk. you look a little worn out, too. you should eat something." Papyrus nodded, and Sans hurried past him and away, the tension too much for the tired skeleton to bare.

Papyrus felt uneasy at how stiff Sans was around him. He really should've said something. This felt too detached; too formal.

He watched Sans leave, unable to stifle a small chuckle as Sans dropped some papers in his hurry. As he nervously moved to pick them up again, he ended up dropping more in the process. Papyrus stepped forward and picked up the papers for him, "THERE YOU GO!"

 He handed them to him gently, looking at him as kindly as possible. Sans smiled, but his eyes were downcast as he mumbled a soft, "thanks bro," before scurrying off again.

Papyrus slowly wandered down the path and into the house, taking his time as he peered around the place. The castle was messier than before, with dropped items and discarded trash laying about that Papyrus hadn't been around to pick up.

Upon entering the house he discovered that it was even messier. Sans really couldn't take care of himself. On his way to the kitchen Papyrus found himself cleaning up, carrying trash and socks alike in his arms as he moved into the living room. He dropped a pile of Sans' clothes onto Asgore's old rocking chair, throwing the wrappers and crumpled papers into the trash can.

He hadn't been away for much time at all and Sans had already managed to make a huge mess. ' _AT LEAST,'_ Papyrus thought, _'THIS MEANS THAT HE'S BEEN LEAVING HIS ROOM.'_ He didn't even want to imagine the mess that was undoubtedly waiting for him in there. He entered the kitchen with a sigh, feeling less grim now, thanks to the distraction that cleaning brought.

He opened the fridge, finding it to be empty. He grumbled, poking through cabinets and shelves, hoping to find _something_. Everything was empty. He needed something to heal all this damage. He was starting to feel exhausted, and he needed the food to wake him up again.

"ah, sorry bro." Sans appeared in the room suddenly, but Papyrus didn't even flinch. Sans' sudden appearances didn't surprise him anymore. Sans no longer held any papers. His hands were not casually placed in his pockets like they usually would be, though; he instead anxiously wrung them together, his phalanges rattling softly against each other. "I _might've_ forgotten to get groceries," Sans said, chuckling awkwardly.

Papyrus couldn't help but glare at him, but Sans didn't sense the playfulness in his gaze and his eyes dropped. He scratched at the back of his skull. "there's still water..?" he suggested. "I'M FINE, SANS," Papyrus huffed, moving into the living room instead. Sans followed, staring dejectedly at the floor. Papyrus hated seeing him looking like that.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT." Sans jumped, looking up at him. Papyrus could finally see hope peeking through the worry in his eyes. "y- yeah?"

"YES." Papyrus smiled at him, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE GROCERIES. AND... DON'T WORRY ABOUT BEFORE, EITHER." He shifted his weight from foot to foot, trying to smile supportively. "I STILL DON'T THINK WHAT YOU DID WAS RIGHT, BUT... I FORGIVE YOU." Sans' weak attempt at a smile widened as a genuine grin spreading across his face, "r- really?" Papyrus nodded, "REALLY."

Sans suddenly sniffed, making Papyrus raise an eyebrow jokingly. Sans' hands reached up to wipe his face, embarrassed by his own reaction. He started sniffling, and his hands clacked against his face; he was unable to hold them still, he was shaking so heavily. "t- thank you, papyrus... i was so worried that you'd... hate me..."

Papyrus' amusement faded. He stepped up to his brother, knelt down and held him close. Sans hugged him back tightly.

"I'D NEVER HATE YOU! I WAS JUST SO SURPRISED... AND DISAPPOINTED. YOU TOOK THINGS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS WITHOUT CARING ABOUT WHAT I WANTED. I WAS UPSET, BUT... I KNOW YOU MEANT WELL." Sans sniffed again, but he tried to stifle it.

"you're too good to me, papyrus... i'm a horrible brother... i'm sorry." Papyrus rubbed Sans' back, "YOU'VE BEEN TRYING SO HARD RECENTLY, SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU HAVE IN YEARS! I'M... PROUD OF YOU, DESPITE WHAT YOU DID."

Sans had seemed to be calming down, but those words seemed to set him off again. His sniveling returned, and his bones rattled softly. "oh, why did you have to go and say that?" He cried, "i don't deserve it." "YES YOU DO!" "no, i don't..." "YES YOU DO!" "yes i do." "NO YOU D- HEY!"

Papyrus pulled away suddenly, scowling. "SERIOUSLY!? AT A TIME LIKE THIS!?"

Sans chuckled, wiping his eyes before finally stuffing his hands in his pockets. He smiled up at him, a genuine glimmer of happiness in his eyes. "of course. any time is a good time." Papyrus huffed jokingly, but he couldn't hide the grin that snuck onto his face,."YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT PROUD OF YOU ANYMORE!" "awww... oh no... what have I done..." Sans mumbled with a fake frown, chuckling.

The two moved to sit at the table, across from each other. As they gathered their thoughts Papyrus found himself considering what to tell Sans. On one hand, the betrayal that Papyrus felt about Frisk was similar to Sans; Frisk had ignored Papyrus' wishes and killed- despite his insistence on finding a peaceful alternative. On the other hand, Frisk had also killed _six_ humans instead of one, and Frisk had killed hundreds of monsters while making Papyrus believe that they were innocent. They had taken advantage of him.

They had lied to him... but... Sans had also lied to him. About this. He tried to keep him in the dark about what Frisk did. Surely Sans knew about it, this whole time. Could he really forgive Sans and then not forgive Frisk?

Could he really blame _them_ when he always suspected the truth, but decided to accept their lies instead? He let them lie to him. he lied to _himself_. Wasn't he at fault for this too, then? _You're crazy, Papyrus,_  the human soul scoffed at his thoughts. ' _I'M BEING SERIOUS!' I know, that's why you're crazy. You_ seriously _think this was your fault?  'I DON'T KNOW!' Well, it isn't. 'I'LL JUST HAVE TO ASK SANS ABOUT IT!' Go ahead, even_ he'll _agree with me._

Papyrus gathered himself up and decided on what he was going to say.  "SANS... I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT FRISK." "frisk?" Sans raised an eyebrow. "who..?" Oh, Right. Sans didn't know their name.

"THE HUMAN. THE ONE YOU DIDN'T KILL." "oh." Sans' expression was quickly controlled into a stiff grin. "you've been hanging out with them, huh?" Sans wasn't especially protective, but the look in his eye was proof enough that Sans definitely knew what Frisk was like.

Papyrus nodded hesitantly. "YES. BEING WITH THEM WAS FINE AT FIRST BUT... THEN THEY-" "did they hurt you? is that why you're so beat up?" Sans suddenly interjected, concern in his voice.

Papyrus shook his head. "NO. THAT WASN'T THEM. THEY DIDN'T HURT ME... NOT PHYSICALLY, ANYWAY." Sans leaned back in his chair, his grin twisting into a grimace. "what did they do?" "THEY DECIDED TO... COLLECT... THE SOULS FOR ME." He said tentatively. Sans would know what he meant. "hm." Sans didn't seem to know how else to respond.

Papyrus leaned forward over the table, arms outstretched in front of him. He laid his face on the table defeatedly. "THEY... THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE HELPING ME. THEY SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO 'SPARE ME THE BURDEN.' BUT I... I JUST WANTED TO FIND A PEACEFUL WAY TO BREAK THE BARRIER. I JUST DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO GET HURT..." He knocked his skull against the wood with a soft clack. "IT FEELS LIKE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE I HAVE LEFT ARE DETERMINED TO IGNORE WHAT I CARE ABOUT AND LIE TO ME."

Sans flinched. Papyrus sighed, looking up at him. "YOU LIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERYONE, BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO PROTECT ME. YOU DIDN'T WANT ME TO LOSE HOPE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS..." He rubbed at the back of his skull, leaning back in his chair. "BUT I JUST... WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT FRISK?"

Sanst turned his head away, silently contemplating his reply. Papyrus felt like the right answer would be to forgive Frisk, but that was always his answer. He believed that anyone could be good, if they just tried. But when he had met Frisk, they were dangerous, and frightening, and _evil._ What if Frisk was just lying to him, and they hadn't changed at all? Why should Papyrus forgive them as easily as he could forgive someone like Sans?

The smaller skeleton finally turned to him, a grim look on his face. "i've made my decision." "HUH?" "i'm not going to shelter you anymore. you deserve to know." He stood, a frown straining against his permanent grin. "follow me." Papyrus stood and followed, wondering what this was about. Was Sans going to tell him something that would help him make up his mind about all this?

"here," Sans said, reaching his bedroom and pushing the door open. Papyrus blinked into the room. It was a bit different from the messy, barebones room that Sans used to have. Up against one wall was a desk with a computer, and beside that computer was a huge machine that sported monitors and buttons. Papyrus would have never expected Sans to have such expensive looking equipment hidden away in his room.

"WHAT'S THIS?" Papyrus asked, following Sans up to the machine. "it's a machine that monitors time. i had originally left it back in snowdin, but when you went to the surface, i... decided to move it here. things didn't seem right."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Papyrus furrowed his brows, crossing his arms. This was so weird. Was Sans secretly a scientist? Sans sat in his desk chair, as if standing somehow burdened him. "time has been going out of whack for... i don't even know how long. all i know, is that this kid, frisk, is the reason for it."

He pointed at a section on his monitor, a point in time that seemed to be a few months ago... the day frisk had fallen down into the underground. A bunch of lines spread out from it, some looping back to the initial spot pretty quickly and some lasting for a very long time before looping back. Two lines just stopped entirely.

Sans pointed at one of the longer lines, "this... is the timeline we're in right now." Papyrus glanced at it. And sure enough, it hadn't looped back yet, instead it continued to inch across the screen, showing the date and time as it moved. "BUT... I DON'T UNDERSTAND. WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?"

"frisk has the ability to reset time back to the day they fell into the underground." Sans had never looked so serious before, the lights in his eyes had gone out.

Papyrus' eyes darted between Sans and the machine, trying to wrap his head around the idea. "SO THEY... CAN MAKE IT SO NONE OF THIS EVER HAPPENED?" He could hardly believe it. ideas were racing through his head. Undyne could be brought back to life! He wouldn't be king anymore! Frisk could fix everything!

"yes." Sans lowered his head, staring blankly at the floor, "they have reset hundreds of times, and they have made events play out in hundreds of different ways according to the machine. we can't remember what happened, but we can get deja vu. that's why when they showed up, you felt like you already knew them, even thought you had never met a human before."

What an odd thought. He had met Frisk before. Numerous times.

Papyrus peered closer at the machine, trying to understand the information that it read. He peered at the two timelines that just appeared to cut off. He pointed at them."SO... WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN THE TIMELINE ENDS BUT IT DOESN'T RESET?" Sans didn't even bother to look up at the screen. "i'm not exactly sure. but it is clear that frisks LV is huge in that timeline, so i assume they ended it. it looks almost as if they destroyed time itself... and yet, frisk still managed to come back."

Papyrus stared at it, and how a new timeline just starts as usual afterwards, with no indication that the ended timeline ever happened at all. Sans finally looked up, pressing buttons on his keyboard to zoom in closer to the longer timelines. "what is especially interesting to me, is that all the longest timelines are where Frisk doesn't have any LV- nobody dies at all."

Papyrus blinked in surprise. That sounded like just the thing he wanted! "THAT'S LIKE... THE PERFECT CHOICE! WHY WOULDN'T THEY STICK WITH IT?" Sans shrugged, "i can only assume that they were tempted to abuse their powers. the first 'pacifist' run goes on for a few years-" Sans pointed at the longest line of them all- "but i guess they just... were too curious about their powers."

Papyrus frowned. So that meant that Frisk was a good person? Or did it prove the opposite? What did this prove? "I DON'T GET IT! THAT MUST MEAN THAT THEY CONSIDER US TO BE FRIENDS THOUGH, RIGHT? SO WHY WOULD THEY HURT US?" Sans rubbed at the back of his neck. "i don't know, bro."

Sans sat in his chair a while, silent as Papyrus analyzed the monitor. Papyrus had never expected Frisk to have such a power. He had no idea what to make of it. Frisk could have gone back and spared everyone... but they chose not to? Instead they just visited him everyday as king, supporting him and encouraging him.

Why would they bother doing that if the easiest way to make him happy again, would be to reset? He didn't want the stresses of being king, he didn't want to mourn all his friends. Why would they put him through that? Where they just... bored? That didn't _make sense_.

"look," Sans mumbled, catching Papyrus' attention. He leaned forward in his chair, pointing at the two timelines that didn't loop. "after the first timeline ends suddenly, frisk did a 'pacifist' run. but then it _ended_ instead of resetting, too. it appears that after living in that timeline for a while, their LV just skyrockets and everything ends. after that they start doing a bunch of mixed timelines, like this one." He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, "i feel like they have some sort of plan." Papyrus hummed, before a certain word caught his attention, "MIXED?"

"Yeah." Sans replied, "they kill some monsters, spare other monsters; that sort of thing. it's clear by the LV that they have. Not LV 1, but not LV 20 either." Papyrus felt his head begin to spin. This was all too much information for him.

"SO... THE TIMELINE WE'RE LIVING IN NOW IS MIXED... BECAUSE THEY SPARED ME AND YOU?" Sans nodded. "yeah. the weird thing is, my machine usually predicts when the timeline will end. but right now it can't come up with anything. it's very possible that frisk will let this timeline stay. and if it were up to me, i wouldn't let all my friends stay dead when there's a way to get them back." Papyrus felt the spinning in his head come to a stop.

He stood up taller, straightening his spine. He grinned confidently at Sans,. "I NOW SEE WHAT I MUST DO, THEN! I MUST CONVINCE FRISK TO RESET, AND GET THEM TO SAVE US ALL _PERMANENTLY!"_ Instead of encouraging him like Papyrus expected, Sans slumped into his chair. "i don't know if you'll be able to." Papyrus stomped his foot. "IF I CAN'T, NOBODY CAN. IT'S WORTH A SHOT!"

Sans turned away, locking his eyes onto the screen. "i guess so..."The lights in his eyes went out again. "but bro, i don't want you getting hurt. if this timeline really does stay, i want you to be _alive_ for it. don't let frisk get anywhere near you." Papyrus frowned.

He... wasn't sure how he was supposed to manage that. But... "...I SUPPOSE I CAN AGREE TO THOSE TERMS. I WILL CONVINCE FRISK TO SAVE US, AND THEN WE WILL ALL LIVE HAPPILY ON THE SURFACE TOGETHER, WITHOUT ANYONE NEEDING TO DIE!"

Sans chuckled, spinning around in his chair to smile up at him, "yeah... and it'll be all thanks to you, bro." Papyrus grinned. Yes, he knew Sans would encourage him eventually! Sans always came around. He put his fists on his hips and stuck out his chin. "NATURALLY! NYEH HEH HEH!"

\---

Papyrus decided to wait for Frisk to find him. While it was possible that Frisk hadn't woken up yet, and he could sneak back to the cave without him ever being missed, he felt like it would be too big of a lie for him to handle. He knew what Frisks secret was, now. He couldn't just act as if he didn't know. It would be much easier if he just waited for them to wake up, discover that he was missing, and come looking for him.

It felt wrong, leaving them out in the cold like that. He was afraid that they could get sick, or maybe they'd be too afraid of Sans to enter the Underground in search of him.

Forgiving Frisk for killing six humans was much less important, now. If he could convince Frisk to reset, then they wouldn't have ever done anything wrong in the first place. There'd be nothing to forgive, because all the humans and monsters that they killed would be alive again. Papyrus could still save everyone! He could save them through Frisk!

A small fear in the back of his mind made him ask Sans to keep watch over him while he waited for Frisk to arrive. He had no idea whether or not Frisk would be angry at being abandoned in the cave.

The human soul within him flared up, and for the first time he was fully aware of the power that the soul gave him. He wouldn't need their strength. He _hoped_ he wouldn't need it.

Papyrus sat in the garden amidst the golden flowers. He would be here when they arrived, even if it meant he'd need to wait all day. He'd wait forever if it meant he could save everyone. If it meant they could all have a happy ending. He contemplated what he would say to the human. How could he convince them?

After waiting a while, an idea occurred to him. He searched his bedroom for his phone, and once he found it, he called Frisk. They didn't pick up, and it went to voicemail. He almost lapsed into the old habit of merely saying, 'COME SEE ME TODAY, FRISK! SEE YOU THEN!' and had to shake the words out of his mind.

He took a deep breath, "I'M IN THE GARDEN. I'M SORRY I LEFT, BUT I NEED TO TALK TO YOU... HERE. COME SEE ME WHEN YOU WAKE UP." He hung up, not bothering to say goodbye. There was no need.

He returned to the garden and decided to water the flowers instead of just sitting around. Sans continued to stand in the shadows of the doorway, watching from a safe distance as they waited for the human to arrive. Unless they specifically looked for him, Frisk wouldn't be able to spot Sans. Papyrus didn't want his brothers' presence to upset them.

"it's a beautiful day today... huh?" Sans mumbled from his spot in the shadows. Papyrus almost didn't hear him. "I SUPPOSE. BUT ON THE SURFACE, IT'S SNOWING." Sans laughed, "snowing? huh, I never would've guessed." Papyrus shrugged, watering the outermost flowers, "THINGS NEVER CHANGE DOWN HERE."

Sans continued to grin. "yeah, you're right. it's kind of ironic; there's no seasons, or weather, or night or day. It's almost as if _time doesn't go by at all_." Papyrus glared at him, making him shrug unapologetically. "hey, i thought it was funny." "YOU'LL MAKE JOKES OUT OF ANYTHING." Sans pointed finger guns at him, narrowing his eyes, "hey, i've been dreaming of making timeline jokes for months!"

Papyrus sighed dramatically. Sans laughed at it. Leave it to Sans to know something as emotionally draining as this, and proceed to do nothing but think up dumb jokes about it.

Sans waved a dismissive hand. "anyway bro, i'm going to hide in case the kid shows up. don't need them knowin' that i'm here." Papyrus nodded, turning his back to him, "YES, YOU DO THAT." After Sans sufficiently disappeared, Papyrus found it much harder to patiently wait for Frisk to show. When would they get his message? Would it take an hour like it always used to?

After waiting for a while, he was afraid he was drowning the flowers at this point. He just didn't have anything else to do. He set the watering can down and sat in the center of the room, massaging the soft petals around him. Some were a bit stiff and crusty.

If he got Frisk to reset, him watering the flowers would have never happened. Asgore would be alive again, and he'd take care of the flowers instead. Papyrus wondered if the flowers missed Asgore. The Boss Monster definitely did a better job at taking care of them than he did. Well, if he had anything to say about it, he'd make sure that the flowers got their true caretaker back.

He heard the tell tale sound of soft steps entering the room. Footsteps he had grown accustomed to hearing. Papyrus didn't need to look up. "FRISK," he said, trying to sound stern.

He trembled for a moment as they stepped closer. He feared what he'd see upon looking up. Would they be mad? Would they be upset with Sans for telling Papyrus about their secret? He'd have a much harder time convincing Frisk to reset if they were angry. He shut his eyes, trying to build up the courage to look up at them.

The footsteps crunched over the flowers, delicate and hesitant. He heard the human sniff faintly.

Huh..?

He finally looked up, eyes wide as he beheld them, clutching their phone to their chest, eyes and nose red from crying. They rubbed their eyes and nose on their sleeve, "P- Papyrus..?" He had seen them crying only a couple hours ago, but somehow they looked even more vulnerable now.

Knowing what they had done- both in this timeline and in others; knowing what they were _capable of doing_... after learning all of it, he completely forgot that they were just a kid.

They looked so small.

Frisk stepped up to him, and even though he was kneeling on the ground, they barely stood as tall as him. "W- why did you leave me...?" Frisk asked, trembling, holding their phone out to him. "I- I panicked... I thought you ran away... until I got your message. I... I was already halfway down the mountain by the time I got it..."

Papyrus smiled gently at them. "I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D HAVE WOKEN UP ALREADY. I'M SORRY." They shook their head. "I- I'm just glad that you're okay..."

They collapsed onto him, wrapping their arms around his neck as they sobbed into his chest. He stiffened, already able to tell that this would make Sans uncomfortable. Sans made him promise not to let them touch him. Well, there goes that.

Papyrus hugged them back, rubbing their back comfortingly. "FRISK... DO YOU  _ACTUALLY_ CARE ABOUT ME?" Frisk nodded fervently against his sweater. "Of course I do! I love you more than anyone else..." Papyrus held them tighter. "IF THAT'S TRUE, THEN THERE'S SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO DO FOR ME."

Frisk pushed away, but didn't let go of his clothes. They blinked tears out of their eyes and stared at him curiously, mouth agape. "W-... what is it?" Papyrus felt his hand stray to the top of their head, gently threading through the tangles. He brushed his fingers over the flower behind their ear. It was definitely his old, encouraging flower buddy. What could possibly make Frisk want to kill him? He was so nice. Was it curiosity? Boredom?

"I WANT YOU TO RESET." Frisk froze. Their mouth opened  and shut in shock. Under his gentle touch he could feel the tension in their muscles. "How... how did you...?" "SANS TOLD ME." He interrupted their question.

Frisk flinched. They looked away, putting a nervous hand to their mouth and biting their knuckles. "SO...? FRISK? WILL YOU RESET FOR ME? I WANT US TO LIVE IN THE ENDING WHERE NOBODY HAS TO DIE. I WANT EVERYONE TO BE HAPPY." Frisks eyes fell to the ground. "...I'm sorry."

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE! YOU CAN MAKE IT SO YOU NEVER HURT ANYONE! THERE'D BE NOTHING FOR ME TO FORGIVE." Instead of replying, Frisk started trembling, shutting their eyes and face twisting into a grimace. He petted their hair, trying to calm them. His free hand pulled them closer. "IT'S OKAY, FRISK..."

Frisk gripped his shoulder shakily. "N- no." They took a deep breath, steadying themself. "You don't understand. We can't have that ending. We just can't."

Papyrus frowned, "WHY NOT?" Frisks couldn't open their eyes. They stubbornly kept them squeezed shut. "B- b- believe me, I want everyone to be alive... I wanted to stop resetting a long time ago... but they... _they_ won't let me..." Papyrus shushed them, trying to prevent them from crying again. They were shaking like a leaf. They were _this_ afraid of telling him the truth?

"SHH... FRISK IT'S OKAY. I PROMISE I'LL UNDERSTAND." Frisk shook their head, still refusing to open their eyes. "FRISK? LOOK AT ME." They opened their eyes slightly, fearfully.

He smiled, "NOW... WHO WON'T LET YOU?"

They struggled to keep their eyes on him. "Ch-... Ch- Chara..."

Papyrus tilted his head. The name seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. "WHO?" Frisk looked down, unable to look him in the eye anymore. "It- it's a long story... did Sans tell you about all the things I've done?" Papyrus nodded.

They sighed, "well... In one time, I... I killed... everyone. Absolutely everyone. Went out of my way to... to do so. And my LOVE became so high that... I gained the power to destroy the world."

Papyrus nodded at them, urging the child to continue. This was... that first timeline that stopped..?

Frisk continued, "Chara is... the reason I can reset. They're like a ghost, but not a ghost monster. They used to be human. They are.. I dunno... inside me. When I fell into the underground, I landed on their grave, and their spirit just kind of... attached itself to my soul."

Frisk shook their head. "They're a lot like Asgore. A voice in my head. That was all they were, for so many resets... until the timeline where I destroyed the world."

They stared down at the flowers, hands curled into fists. "After everything was gone, I... I felt bad. I always felt like if I could undo everything, I wouldn't have to feel like... like I was a bad person." They shifted closer to Papyrus as he continued to massage their hair. It calmed them, and their voice became steady. "Chara said that they could help me bring the world back. That they could help me reset if I wanted it so badly. But they asked for my soul in return."

Papyrus blinked, "YOU GAVE THEM YOUR SOUL? BUT... HOW DOES THAT WORK? YOU'RE STILL... HERE?" They shrugged, "Chara doesn't have a body, so... now they can just... take control of mine whenever they want."

Frisk fiddled with their hands. "I felt bad, as I said. So I decided that I wasn't going to play with my powers anymore. I was going to save everyone, and then I'd just... let time do what it wants." Papyrus stilled his hand. This was that other ended timeline, wasn't it? "SO... WHY DID YOU END UP DESTROYING THE WORLD IN THAT TIMELINE TOO?"

Frisk shivered. "It wasn't me. It was Chara. They... they wanted to free everyone _their_ way. They didn't want things to end like that. So they took control. And... now, if I want to stop resetting... I need to find an ending that _they're_ happy with."

Frisks hand drifted to the flower in their hair. "Chara is a spirit through and through. So if they want to pass on... they need to complete the task that they had set out to do when they died."

Frisk sighed, "they want to free all monsters, but not the way that I do. They want to kill the humans themself. That's why I... that's why we..." They trailed off. "Chara likes you. Not as much as I do, but they used to think that you were nothing but a painful reminder of someone they'd lost. They used to hate you... but now..."

They looked up at him, eyes going wide. For a moment, Papyrus was struck by the sudden grin stretching across their face. "Now... I like you the best." Papyrus felt his hands move away from them, hovering over their head uncomfortably.

How often had Chara spoken to him, and he had no idea? How many times had Frisk looked at him with those eyes. He was trying to run over the moments in his head, but he couldn't focus with them staring at him like that.

Chara frowned dejectedly. "Don't act so afraid. Now that I have Frisks soul, I can feel compassion." They tried to brush off how his reaction hurt them. They smiled with a wink. "You don't have to worry about me. You're my best friend, now. Forget about Asriel." They stood, stepping away from Papyrus. 

His mind was racing. He knew their voice. It was similar to Frisks, but different enough for him to realize that he knew it already. He recalled a few of the times he had heard that voice before.

_"I used to have a heart locket kind of like this one... I just felt right when I saw it. I wish I could've gotten one for you, too."_

_"Come on. Don't be scared. I won't hurt you... I like you, remember?"_

_"you're not like the other monsters! You're familiar! You're_ better! _You're... Y- you're not forgettable, like every other monster is..."_

_"I hate humans."_

Chara stood before him, a forced grin on their face. They seemed to be putting up a front, trying to seem stronger than they really were.

They pulled the flower out from behind their ear. "Asriel became a heartless beast. He isn't the innocent, harmless boss monster I was friends with anymore. The Asriel I knew would never hurt anyone." They frowned at the flower, holding in both of their hands.

Asriel...? Wasn't that the long dead Prince? Papyrus found himself puzzled once again.

Chara glared at the golden flower. "I can't believe he thought that he could act like he never changed." Their hands shook angrily, gripping the stem of the flower so tightly that it started leaking.

Papyrus moved to stand. "CH... CHARA?" His voice broke them from their trance. They took a deep breath and eyed Papyrus gently. "I don't want to free everyone with _him_ anymore. I want to free everyone with _you_ instead."

They smiled kindly up at him, dropping the flower to the ground; they stepped cruelly on it as they walked towards him. "It's almost over, Papyrus. You just need to break the barrier for me. Then I can rest, and Frisk won't be able to reset anymore. I like this ending. Time can go on as it pleases."

Papyrus stepped back. "B-BUT I DON'T! I DON'T LIKE THIS ENDING! IF YOU- IF YOU _DO_ LIKE ME, YOU'D RESET! DON'T YOU WANT _ME_ TO BE HAPPY?" Chara frowned. They stared silently at him, hands grasping at the hem of their jacket. For a moment, they looked like a lost little child.

"... I... I don't want you to be upset... but I've made up my mind. This may not be the perfect ending in your- or Frisks- eyes, but I just... I just want to rest. I can't _move on_ without this. And Frisk is so tired that they're willing to accept _any_ ending as long as there's still something left."

Papyrus felt like there was nothing for him to hold onto. He felt like he was slipping. This was all up to him. He _had_ to convince Chara to reset.

He wanted his friends to be alive again. He had the rare opportunity to bring them all back. This was all riding on him. He was the only one who could do this.

But what could he even do? Chara seemed to have already made up their mind, and Frisk was resigned to any ending where they could finally rest. How could he do this?

"IF YOU WANT TO FREE THE MONSTERS, WHY DON'T YOU WANT TO FREE _EVERY_ MONSTER?" He finally asked. Chara blinked at him.

They shrugged, sheepishly looking to the ground. "The number of lives lost in order to reach this goal don't matter. I needed you to be royalty. I needed you to live in New Home so we could visit you. It has nothing to do with those that died." They shifted their feet in the dirt, smushing the flower (Asriel?) further into the ground.

"I just want this so badly." They looked up at him. "If we reset again, and Frisk spared everyone, I'd do the same thing I've already done. They know that. I _won't let us stick with that ending._ "

Their expression became pained, as if they were begging him. " _Please._ I know you don't want this... but isn't this better than the world ending? You can't make me change my mind, I've been working too hard for this. I am _determined_ to do it this way. We're so _close_." They clasped their hands together, stepping closer. "So _please,_ Papyrus. Break the barrier with the souls I got you. Free the monsters. Let me leave."

Papyrus was still. He wanted to step back away from them. He wanted to run away again. Chara couldn't possibly expect him to leave Undyne behind. Couldn't expect him to doom everyone to a permanent death when there was a way to save them. Even if Chara wouldn't allow another 'pacifist' run, there _had_ to be a better ending than _this!_

Before he could reply, he suddenly found that he could no longer see Charas watery red eyes. In an instant he was staring down into the back of Sans' hoodie, and all at once he realized that Chara was being held up by their collar. "Urgh!"

Sans turned his head and peered at him from over his shoulder. "sorry papyrus, but i think i'm going to need to take things into my own hands again. let me handle this." Sans turned back to the human. Papyrus choked on his own words, "N-NO-"

Sans clutched Charas shirt tighter, bringing them closer to him. "now you listen here, kiddo. if you don't comply, i'll kill you as many times as it takes until you give us the ending we deserve." Chara seemed unaffected by his attempt at intimidation, glaring at him angrily, "so, you were listening in, huh?"

They put on a poker face, trying to unclasp his fingers from their clothes. "I know firsthand that you'll do just that. But _do_ try to understand that _I'm_ the one with the determination here. Even if I did reset, we'd just keep going in circles until we end up here again... I know you're afraid of living a meaningless life where nothing matters. You wouldn't want us to go around again, would you?"

Papyrus wanted to intervene, but he found his bones were locked in place. He was afraid of both of them.

Sans snarled at Chara, his grin warping into a grimace. "i'm more afraid of _this_ being the timeline that ends up _mattering_. this isn't right."

Chara continued to claw at his fingers. "Well that's too bad. I'm the one in control. Frisk can't even have their body unless I let them. But hey," they smiled wryly, "at least Papyrus is alive. He's all you care about, after all."

Sans' grip loosened, and Chara wrestled themself away. They stood back defensively. "If you want to try killing me over and over, go ahead. But consider this; I'd then have to retaliate. Eventually you'll die. And then we'll have to end everything with you dead. Papyrus wouldn't want that. I want him to at _least_ have you."

Papyrus jumped when Chara smiled at him. There was no animosity in their eyes as they looked at him, gently trying to plead for him to join their side.

He felt his shock slowly fade. "SANS... DON'T HURT THEM. THIS IS MY DECISION, NOT YOURS." He pushed Sans aside, moving to stand next to him. Sans's eyebrows furrowed, "but papyrus, i already know what your choice is... i'm just trying to-"

"I KNOW." Papyrus smiled sadly down at him, "BUT FIGHTING WILL DO US NO GOOD." Sans watched worriedly as he stepped towards Chara, kneeling down to their height and putting his hand on their shoulder. They smiled up at him anxiously.

He sighed, "I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SAVE ANYONE, WILL I? NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY." The smile faded from Chara's face. They looked away guiltily. "...I'm sorry, Papyrus."

Chara held their hands up again, holding them together pleadingly. "But... you'll be able to save me, right? You'll be able to help someone like me... someone who has been unable to be at rest for decades... one person is better than none, right?"

Papyrus lifted his hand and brushed it over their cheek. They leaned into the touch. "And... the monsters that _are_ left will consider you their hero. You'll save them from this place. You still have that." Papyrus sighed, "...I DON'T WANT IT TO BE THIS WAY. BUT... AT LEAST UNDYNE DIED HEROICALLY. AT LEAST EVERYONE... WILL BE FREE."

"papyrus what are you doing? you can't just give up!" Sans stepped forward, putting a hand on his back. Chara peered blankly at him. "Odd. You _always_ give up." Sans took a step back uneasily.

It occurred to Papyrus that Chara and Frisk must know more about all of them than they should. Who knows what other Papyrus' have told them. What other Sans' have told them.

"I'M NOT GIVING UP, SANS. EVEN IF THEY _DID_ SPARE EVERYONE, CHARA WOULDN'T LET IT END LIKE THAT. LIKE THEY SAID, WE'D JUST END UP BACK HERE AGAIN. THIS IS THE ONLY CHOICE I HAVE. EVEN IF..." Papyrus sighed,  "IT'S NOT EASY NEEDING TO LEAVE EVERYONE BEHIND."

Chara let their hand lay over his. "It's alright, Papyrus. I promise, things will get better. Everyone dies eventually. At least this way, time will have a chance to continue on, the way its supposed to."

Papyrus felt tears sting at the back of his eyes. "I DON'T LIKE MAKING DECISIONS LIKE THIS." Chara smiled knowingly. "That's because everyone else has always made them for you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter so many times, It never felt right. but hey! here it is. there's only one chapter left, thank god.


	9. Departure

Chara and Papyrus stood at the summit of Mt. Ebott. The barrier waited behind them, ignored for the time being. The two looked out over the surface, barely able to see anything through all the snow. It wasn't windy anymore, and snow gently floated down from the grey sky. The fog was still too heavy for them to see the city below.

"I DON'T KNOW IF I'M READY FOR THIS." Papyrus admitted, turning to frown at the human that stood beside him. Chara glanced back up at him, their hand straying to their golden heart locket. They held it tightly. "Me neither."

Chara sighed, "...I don't want to say goodbye to you. And I'm a bit scared of... dying properly. But..." they shut their eyes, "I'm just so tired." Papyrus didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. He stared at them, not knowing what to feel.

Sans hadn't wanted them to break the barrier from the outside, but Chara insisted that it would help them. They wanted to be on the surface when they left, and they only wanted Papyrus to be there. It was Chara who had never liked Sans, not Frisk. Papyrus wondered why that was.

Chara unclipped the heart locket from their neck and reached it up to Papyrus. "Take it," they said softly. Papyrus grabbed it, holding it up to inspect it. He eyed if for a while before turning to them curiously, "WHY ARE YOU...?" Chara smiled, "I wanted to get you one too, but I never got the chance. So... you can have mine. I won't be needing it anymore..." They eyed him hopefully. "Open it."

He blinked, looking back at the locket and flipping the small compartment open. Inside there was a small image of a child he had never seen before. The photo almost fell out as he opened it, as it was haphazardly placed inside. The human seemed to be cut out of a bigger photo, as there was a hand on the human's shoulder. How did they get this photo? When had the gotten the time to put it inside?

He held the photo out of the locket to look closer at it. Papyrus blinked in confusion. "WHO IS..?" "That's me," Chara answered, "or, it _was_ me. When I was alive."

At that information, Papyrus eyed it closer. While the photo was small, he could easily make out Chara's features. They looked a bit like Frisk, but their brown eyes were wider that Frisk's red ones, and their skin was fairer. They were slimmer and appeared to be taller as well. They held a bouquet of buttercups in their hands, and they smiled widely, cheeks flushed.

"YOU LOOK HAPPY." "Yeah," Chara sighed, "I was."

They fell into silence again. Papyrus would rather stand here forever. He didn't want to break the barrier. He didn't want to permanently doom his friends. He wished that Chara could just be happy with the 'pacifist' ending.

Learning of the resets gave him hope that he could fix all of this, but now... his hand was forced. Even though Chara and Frisk had bee the ones to kill everyone, _he_ felt guilty for it. He couldn't save anyone at all.

Papyrus put the photo back in the locket, shut it, and clasped it around his neck. It was heavy. "GIVE ME THE SOULS." Chara turned to him, blinking their wide, innocent eyes. "You're ready now?" Papyrus felt tears prick in his eyes, but he held them back. He wasn't ready at all.

"ARE YOU?" he asked instead. Charas eyes dropped to the ground, "..." They fished out their cell phone, preparing to open their dimensional box. "I suppose."

Papyrus watched as the six souls gently floated out of the box, untouched by the snow that fell around them.

"WHAT ABOUT... FRISK? ARE THEY...?" Chara guided the souls towards Papyrus. "They've been ready for this for so long now. They'll miss the monsters just as much as you will, though. They cared very much about all of them, truly."

Papyrus took a step back as the souls came too close. He didn't want to absorb them. He wasn't ready...!

He struggled to distract Chara, if only a little. "THEN WHY DID THEY-" "They wanted me to be happy. They wanted an ending that would make me satisfied enough to move on." Chara frowned as Papyrus took another step away from the souls.

They paused, thinking deeply about something. After a moment, they smiled sheepishly at him. "Who knows? Maybe there's a small chance that they could still reset once I leave." Chara had a melancholy look in their eyes. "Then maybe you'll get the ending that you all deserve."

Papyrus felt comforted by their words. Maybe Chara was right. Frisk could fix this once everything was over. There was still a chance. He could still do this.

Each of the souls started gently encircling him, coming closer. The soul that already laid in his chest shone in response to the others. He didn't try to stop it anymore. Slowly, he felt himself absorb them. His wounds faded away.

In an instant, he could hear so many voices calling out, like whispers in the back of his mind. Confusion. Fear. Anger. The cyan glow of the first human soul outshone all the others, and their soft voice rung out in his mind- _don't be afraid! We're all going to be okay! Just stay calm and everything will be fine!_ The other souls seemed to not even hear them.

The voices clambered over each other, getting louder as the souls drew closer. Through the light and all the voices, he could barely even see Chara. They stood before him, determination flickering through their eyes.

Everything got brighter, and for a short, terrifying moment, everything went white.

And then there was silence.

Papyrus had shut his eyes at the light, and when he opened them again, he found everything to be... completely normal. No voices shouted out in his mind, and the glowing had disappeared. He felt detached from everything, almost sleepy. It took a moment for him to gather his thoughts. He blinked, confused.

Chara stared at him expectantly. He felt at the front of his shirt, pulling it up and peering into his ribcage. There were no longer any souls to be seen. He started searching himself, patting down his sleeves as if the souls were hiding there, putting his fingers in his eye sockets in hopes of finding that the souls were in his skull. He couldn't find anything.

He looked at himself, inspecting himself for any changes. He looked just like he always did. He called out to the cyan human soul in his mind, searching for their voice. There was no reply. None of the souls were speaking anymore. He started to panic slightly. Did something go wrong!?

"Don't worry." He paused, turning to Chara. They smiled triumphantly. "You're a god, now. The souls are properly fused with yours. You can still expel them, but they are not separate from you anymore. They are a part of you now. You can feel all that they feel." Papyrus had no clue how Chara knew all this already. "SO... THEY CAN'T TALK TO ME ANYMORE?" "No." Chara seemed lost in thought. "But they are still there."

He searched his mind again, looking for the human's' feelings. Immediately, he found something dark. Something new. _Hatred._ He had never felt something so horrid before. He stared at Chara, alarmed. Six of the seven souls burned in a collective passion, their hatred so malicious and terrible that he almost felt sick.

"THEY... THEY HATE YOU... SO MUCH," he said, breathless, "I'VE NEVER FELT SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE..." Chara smiled sadly, "it's alright. I hate them, too." The hatred flared up dangerously at that response. A powerful impulse to _destroy_ came over him so suddenly that his knees almost collapsed underneath him in shock. "IT'S SO TERRIBLE," he gasped, "HOW COULD ANYONE HAVE SUCH HORRIBLE FEELINGS!"

Chara shrugged, laughing, "that's humans for you. Monsters just don't have it in them to hate as humans do." Papyrus searched his mind for something that didn't make him feel so _nauseous,_ and he found a small, soothing presence in the corner of his thoughts.

The blue soul was comforting him. He could feel their emotions much stronger now than ever before, and while he could tell that they too held hatred beneath the surface- but towards Sans, not Chara- their main focus was to calm him down. Gradually, he felt the gentle patience of the blue soul quell the fire in all the others. He pulled himself together, standing tall. He no longer felt sick.

"I CAN'T IMAGINE FEELING SUCH A WAY ABOUT SOMEONE," he said, heaving deeply, "IT'S SO... WEIRD." Chara chuckled, "you're so gentle... and yet so powerful." They stepped towards him, and when he felt the souls grow agitated, he pushed their feelings aside. "That's what makes you so _memorable_ , Papyrus. Your integrity is so intense." Papyrus wasn't sure what to make of their complements.

Chara awaited a response from him, but he only stared at them. They hesitated, mumbling angrily under their breath. "if _you_ became Flowey, you wouldn't have ever decided to hurt anyone. No matter _how_ curious or bored you got." Papyrus could barely catch their words, but nevertheless the statement meant very little to him. He didn't understand what they meant.

Chara came closer, taking Papyrus' hand in theirs. They turned him around to face the barrier, pulling him closer to it. He stared at it, and once again he could feel power radiating from it. But this time, he could feel _how much._

It was stronger than Chara's LOVE. More powerful than anything he had ever felt before. But stronger than that, he realized, was his own newfound power. He had gained unbelievable strength from one soul before, but now with seven, he realized that he indeed had the power of a God. It was hidden away, untouched, but he could feel the potential rumbling inside, restless.

Charas voice pulled him from his observations. "No matter how good Frisk is, compared to Flowey or me, they're still not a good person." Papyrus glanced down at them. They had been speaking and he hadn't been paying attention.

They stared into the barrier, entranced. "It was Frisk who decided to kill in most of their resets, and they still gave up their happy ending for the sake of curiosity." Chara shrugged boredly, "power corrupts."

Papyrus considered that. He had a lot of power now. "DO YOU THINK ALL THESE SOULS WILL MAKE ME BAD?" Chara looked up at him, surprised, "no! No no, of course not. You're too good. You're everything I've always wanted in a friend... You'd never hurt anyone."

Papyrus sighed in relief, "OH, GOOD. I DON'T WANT TO END UP LIKE Y-" he stumbled over his words, "I- I MEAN LIKE... FRISK...?" Chara grinned up at him, "one or the other, it's the pretty much the same thing. Whichever floats your boat." Papyrus wasn't sure what to make of that.

Chara squared their shoulders. "Now come on." They let go of his hand and stepped away from him. "The monsters have been waiting longer than they ever should have had to. Destroy the barrier." Papyrus hesitated. He still didn't want to. The six angry souls seemed to reject the idea of breaking the barrier, spite making them flare up rebelliously. The first soul reluctantly urged him forward. He stepped towards the barrier.

He wa the one in control, here. The angry souls had no say. If he was going to do this, they could not stop him. He felt the power of the barrier push against him, trying to keep him away. He felt his own untapped magic shove against it, immediately overpowering it.

He shut his eyes in concentration. His feet lifted from the ground, and for a moment he panicked. He was floating! This was crazy! He couldn't do this, what was he doing!?

"You look so cool, Papyrus!" His eyes jumped to Chara, who stood with their eyes twinkling excitedly. He smiled, his panic flowing away. He could do this. He _would_ do this. For them... He shut his eyes again, and his arms flung out to his sides. The seven souls emerged from him, spinning around him and illuminating the area. The power was indescribable, rushing from him in waves.

The snow on the plateau was blown off the ground, billowing up into the air like a cloud. The snow circled him, swirling around the area and blocking out all else from sight. Chara stumbled, grounding themself and trying to keep from also being blown away.

The barrier stood no chance against him. A crack began to form across it, and the infinite hallway slowly grew shorter and shorter, until it was nothing but a flat, thin wall. Papyrus couldn't see it, but he could feel the barrier as it shattered, exploding with a loud _CRASH!_

His power swirled around him, no longer able to focus on anything. The snow dropped heavily to the earth, and Chara relaxed their stance. The barrier was destroyed.

Slowly, the souls returned to him, and Papyrus drifted to the ground. His knees buckled as he landed and he collapsed. He expected to find himself heaving for breath, but he merely felt a little shaken. The power he had felt had been incredible, but now it was once again dormant within his souls.

He felt a small, warm hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up at the human, his strength gradually returning. They smiled down at him. "You did it," they said, "you freed the monsters." They walked around him, standing in front of his crouched figure. 

He stared at them. Chara stared back, and for a moment the stillness between the two was deafening. Papyrus briefly wondered why he couldn't feel anything. No sadness, no triumph... just nothing. Not even the souls gave him anything to feel. Chara's contented smile fell as they noticed the emptiness in his eyes. 

Chara suddenly collapsed onto him with a gasp, as if their legs had stopped working. He caught them, and they tightly wrapped their arms around his neck. They held him like he was a lifeline. Shakily, Papyrus hugged them back.

"You saved me," Chara whispered, voice trembling slightly, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I did this." Papyrus held them tighter, a mournful sorrow washing over him. "I did this because I wanted to be happy... I wanted to be free." Charas voice cracked and they paused for a moment, reigning in their emotions. When they spoke again they sounded much calmer.

"But in doing so, I... I hurt you deeply. I might've... ruined everything." They pulled back and he loosened his grip, so they could look him in the eye. Their wide red eyes were shimmering. Their lips wavered. "Papyrus, you're my only hope..." Chara sniffed, and a tear slid down their cheek. "You're my best friend..." They let go of him and crossed their hands over their chest pleadingly. 

"So please..." they sobbed, "don't change because of this! Don't- don't give up because of me!" Papyrus couldn't help but wipe the tears from their cheeks. They shut their eyes for a moment, relishing in the kind gesture. "I'm so sorry... for being so selfish..." They whimpered softly. 

Chara gasped in shock as they were suddenly pulled into Papyrus' arms again. He shut his eyes and pressed a hand onto the back of their head, massaging their back comfortingly. The two silently sat together, Chara moving to grab at his clothes desperately. Chara calmed down, and wiped their eyes. It was a long moment before Chara spoke again. "Thank you... for being my friend..." 

Papyrus let out a small sigh. "I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE THERE... BUT I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY, STILL." Chara nodded. "You did..."

They paused for a moment. "Goodbye, my friend." He shut his eyes again and held them tighter. "GOODBYE... CHARA." He didn't want to ever let them go. Their grasp around him became painful, but he supposed his had to be as well. Neither seemed to care. 

"bro..." 

Papyrus opened his eyes, staring up as his brother slowly approached them. Sans' eyes darted from him and the human to the snow covered landscape. He was awed. "papyrus, you... did it..." Sans' voice was always quiet, but now it was hardly more than a soft breath of a whisper.

He could feel Sans' presence. He could feel how weak his brothers' soul was. It seemed so fragile. Sans had _always_ been fragile, but compared to the power he had just experienced, Sans' soul felt like almost nothing. Monster souls were so _small_. 

Papyrus closed his eyes. He didn't want to see Sans right now. He was busy.

The arms around his neck loosened, and he took it as a sign to pull away. The red eyes that he found himself staring into were narrow. Frisk blinked up at him, and he forced a small smile onto his face.

He could see the beginning of tears growing in the corners of their eyes. A tear slid down their cheek, and he swiped it away with his thumb. "FRISK," he said, "IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE, HASN'T IT?" Frisk nodded, more tears rolling down their flushed face. They let out a quiet sob, and he pulled them to him again. They buried their face in his shirt, sniffing and crying against him.

He wasn't sure whether Frisk was happy or upset. He looked back to Sans, whose eyes were nothing but small pinpricks of light. _He_ was definitely not happy. At all. But upon meeting Papyrus' eye, his anger seemed to dissipate. A defeated look passed over him. He stepped forward, moving close enough to put a small bony hand on Papyrus' shoulder.

"so. this is it, huh?" Sans mumbled, his voice barely audible over Frisks muffled sobs. Papyrus hesitantly shook his head. "NOT... NOT NECESSARILY." Sans furrowed his brows, "hm?" Papyrus waved him off with one of his hands, "LATER." Sans stepped back, narrowing his eyes.

Papyrus gestured towards the view, "THERE'S NOT MUCH TO LOOK AT THROUGH ALL THIS SNOW. BUT... GO CHECK IT OUT! IT'S THE SURFACE! DON'T YOU WANNA LOOK?" Sans frowned at him, his mouth twisting in clear disapproval. "i don't want to leave you here with the kid."

Papyrus huffed, "JUST GO WAIT OVER THERE!" He used one of his hands to point at the edge of the plateau, his other hand massaging Frisk back. "DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME... I HAVE MORE STRENGTH LIKE THIS THAN YOU, ANYWAY." Sans seemed to hesitate, concern in his eyes. "i... know you do. i can't help worrying about you, though." Papyrus smiled weakly at him, and Sans sighed.

He waved his hands. "i get it, i get it. i guess i need to _chill_ out sometimes." Papyrus groaned jokingly, making Sans smile. "i'll just be over there. when you're ready to talk," he murmured, walking a ways off to look at the snowy view.

Papyrus returned his attention to Frisk, who had cried themself dry. They were pulling away from him, wiping their eyes. He ran his hand through their hair. "ARE YOU OKAY NOW, FRISK?" They nodded, sniffing, "yeah." Frisk hiccupped, and wiped their nose on their sleeve. "I just... I don't know how to feel."

Papyrus slowly nodded, "I UNDERSTAND." Frisk looked up at him, "I didn't think you'd actually do it. Chara is... Chara really is gone now." Papyrus massaged their cheek with his thumb. It felt natural to wipe away the stray tears from their face. "I'M GLAD THAT THEY'RE FINALLY AT PEACE."

Frisk heaved a deep breath, shakily. "Me too. My soul finally belongs to me again. But..." They raised their hand to hold his. "Now I can't... my determination isn't enough on its own." They sniffed sadly, closing their eyes, "We're stuck here, now. We can't go back anymore."

Papyrus' shoulders fell, and he felt the small flame in hope in his soul flicker out. "YOU CAN'T RESET ANYMORE." Frisk nodded, "I'm sorry."

They were silent. Papyrus mourned his decision. He had made his choice and now they had to live with it. Now so many people had to stay dead because of it. Frisk leaned into his chest again, and he hugged them lightly, not really paying attention. He held back his tears as best he could.

"I'm sorry about letting myself get corrupt, like Chara said..." Papyrus looked down at them. They started trembling. "I didn't realize that I had changed... but I can... I can start trying to be a good person now, if you want...?" Despite himself, Papyrus smiled. "YES... I WOULD LIKE THAT VERY MUCH."

Frisk pulled away, but continued sitting in his lap. "What do we do now...?" Papyrus had no idea. His plan had been to get Frisk to reset now, but it seemed that that plan was out of the picture. He hummed softly, trying to think of something they could do that would be better than sitting here. He couldn't think of anything.

"MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST... STAY HERE A BIT LONGER." Frisk stared at him, but then hesitantly nodded. "Okay. Should we... talk about something?"

Papyrus thought for a moment. "TELL ME ABOUT THE TIMELINE WHERE EVERYONE LIVES." Frisk immediately shook their head. "I can't. Not now. I... I don't want to cry again. I don't want to think about what my foolishness lost me."

They hung their head, before something occurred to them. "I know," they murmured, "I could tell you about what happened, when Chara left."

Papyrus tilted his head, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Frisk looked away. "Well... internally, they... had a conversation with Asgore." Papyrus' eyes shot open, "OH.." He had forgotten about Asgore's soul. Chara's presence had distracted him. Such a small child Frisk was, and within them there had been three people. Now there was only two.

"Asgore used to be Charas adoptive father," Frisk started, speaking in a hushed tone. Papyrus barely caught any of the words they said. "When Chara said goodbye to him... he cried... and said that he was sorry for... for pressuring them. He made them think that _they_ had to be the one to save the monsters. He felt horrible for making them think he saw them as nothing more than a means to an end... he really loved them as his own child. It was partly his fault that Chara felt like they needed an ending like- like _this_ to be happy."

Frisks eyes were red and swollen. Their voice was worn. "Chara never really seemed to care about Asgore at all, before. But... When he apologized... and told them that he had, and always will remember them as his child... Chara was... happy."

Frisk smiled, "Getting that closure with him, after thinking that he never truly cared about them... it was the last thing Chara needed." Frisk turned away, a thoughtful look on their face. Papyrus wondered what Asgore could be saying to them right now.

Frisk looked up at him, speaking weakly. "I'm... I'm going to miss everyone so much, but... I'm glad that I at least still have you." Papyrus could barely bring himself to smile, but he managed it. Frisk could tell that it was fake. "YOU WILL _ALWAYS_ HAVE ME." Frisk had a forlorn look in their eyes. They attempted a smile in return. Papyrus could tell that is was fake, too.

Frisk leaned up to him, sitting up tall. They pressed a soft kiss to his nose, holding his cheekbones with their tiny hands. He blinked at them as they returned to their seated position in his lap. They diverted their eyes nervously. "Sorry."

Papyrus smiled again, and it felt a bit more natural this time. He leaned down and nuzzled his teeth into their hair, hoping they'd understand the gesture. When he pulled away, they were blushing slightly, smiling more genuinely as well.

Papyrus chuckled, wrapping his arms around them again. They sunk into his embrace, arms coiled around his ribs. Papyrus didn't think that there was anything either of them needed to say. Just being here was enough. They could be sad together.

Papyrus felt a new set of arms suddenly wrap around his shoulders from behind, and he felt bone clank against the side of his skull. "don't leave me out of the comfort hug, bro. that hurts my feelings." Sans said. Papyrus let out a small laugh. He removed one arm from Frisk and wrapped it around Sans' shoulder instead. Sans knelt beside him, putting one arm around Frisk. Frisk stiffened. Sans noticed.

"hey, kid?" Frisk turned, eyeing him fearfully. Sans began to sweat nervously. "i, uh... well if we're really not going to be resetting anymore... i'm here, too." Frisk smiled at him, relaxing under his touch. "Oh... thanks."

Papyrus watched quietly, and his blurred vision was the only indication that he had finally started crying. It was all over, now. It felt so final. They couldn't go back to their old lives anymore. He couldn't be Undyne's trainee anymore. He couldn't be a sentry, waiting for a human to finally fall. He was king... and everyone was free.

Sans leaned his head on Papyrus' shoulder, and the three of them sat on the cold rocky outcrop for a while. Papyrus sobbed, messy and loud like he always did. He wailed miserably and neither Frisk or Sans did anything to stop him. They just held him and waited.

After a while, Papyrus pulled his arms away, wiping his eyes. He had been letting his tears drip into Frisks hair; he felt bad and tried to pull himself together. The other two released him. Sans rubbed Papyrus' back gently. Frisk still sat in Papyrus' lap, but they leaned away enough to give him some space.

Papyrus sniffed, rubbing his eyes with his sleeves. "I'M SORRY. I HOPE I DIDN'T CRY ON YOU TOO MUCH, FRISK." Frisk waved a dismissive hand. "It's alright, I probably ruined your shirt with all my crying, too. We're even." Papyrus smiled despite his tears.

Sans leaned into his vision. "just let it out, bro. holdin' it in isn't gonna help. we're all crying together anyways, so don't you go getting embarrassed." Papyrus eyed him suspiciously, "YOU'RE NOT CRYING." Sans shrugged with a grin. "what can i say? i'm a tough cookie."

Papyrus glared at him, "I'M TOUGH TOO! I'M AS POWERFUL AS A GOD NOW!" Sans lifted his hand from Papyrus' back, jokingly holding both hands up defensively. "hey, bro, i never said you weren't." He stuffed both his hands in his pockets, grinning wider. "cryin' just ain't my thing, that's all." Papyrus crossed his arms, huffing childishly. 

Frisk look at Sans curiously, "now that I think about it... I've never seen you cry, Sans." Sans raised an eyebrow. Frisk probably knew more about them than anyone else ever could. Sans seemed unnerved by Frisks statement, but he brushed it off easily. "i'm tellin' ya. i just don't cry."

Frisk nodded, frowning sadly, "I don't usually cry. I can detach myself from things pretty easily. Everything can just... feel like a game when you know it can all be reset." Sans' attempt at a jovial mood faded at that.

He always put on a comedic front to seem stronger. Papyrus was used to going along with it too. But now he was grim, and it threw Papyrus off a little. "yeah, you're right, kid. this is more than just another ol' timeline. what we do from now on... it matters. it'll last."

He dropped his gaze, staring at his slippers intensely. "Now that i think about it... i don't know how to feel about that." He chuckled, "maybe i really _should_ start crying, too. it worked pretty well for you guys."

Papyrus put an arm around his brother's shoulders, "JUST LET IT OUT, BROTHER. HOLDING IT IN ISN'T GOING TO HELP! WE'RE ALL CRYING TOGETHER ANYWAYS, SO DON'T YOU GO GETTING EMBARRASSED!" Sans grinned mischievously at him, "don't go using my own words against me, bro." Frisk giggled, "it seems that you need your advice more than we do." Papyrus laughed, "YOU WERE CRYING OVER ME ONLY AN HOUR AGO! AND YOU CALL YOURSELF TOUGH!"

Sans chuckled, "i've always been a bit of a hypocrite." He looked at the ground again, deep in thought. He breathed deeply, shaking his head with a soft laugh. "i feel bad for feeling a little happy about this," he admitted, "i'm just so glad all the resetting is over. it's too bad we had to lose so many people for it." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "but i'm also just... happy i still have you, bro."

Papyrus had to admit that despite his fragility, Sans always seemed so much stronger than him, emotionally. Sans was a bit distant as a result, so seeing the smaller skeleton act so open felt... almost unnerving. New. Maybe the surface was getting to Sans already.

Frisk slowly moved forward, inching off of Papyrus' lap in order to sit closer to Sans. "what is it, kiddo?" Sans asked, softly. Frisk sighed, looking away. They gathered their courage, and their expression hardened with determination. "I'm sorry. For everything that both I and Chara did. You don't have to forgive me, but... I want you to know that I will try to be better now."

Sans smiled at them, reaching forward and patting them on the head. "i know you will. i heard you talking to papyrus about it earlier." Frisk smiled, relaxing slightly. They waited, hoping that Sans would continue. He didn't.

There was a short while where they were all quiet, letting the snow gently bunch on their heads and shoulders. Papyrus knew there was a lot of things to get done, but... being here with Frisk and his brother made it easy to pretend that this was okay. That there was nothing to be sad about.

Sans spoke up, after what felt like an eternity. "there's gonna be a lot of work for us to do now, papyrus. being king ain't easy, especially now that you're gonna be getting the humans to accept us." Papyrus groaned softly. He knew. He could tell very well that this would be a lot of work. But he didn't even want to _think_ about the future right now.

He recalled how the humans had attacked him when they saw him without his disguise. He recalled the screams for help. That fear would be difficult to get rid of.

"Should we tell them about... the barrier? And how it was broken?" Frisk asked nervously, "Chara wasn't exactly... subtle about the whole soul collecting thing. They left us in a tough spot." Sans raised a eyebrow. "how so?"

Papyrus didn't need Frisk to elaborate to realize what the issue was. "THEY'LL... PROBABLY CONNECT THE MURDERY STUFF TO ME." Frisk nodded reluctantly. "A monster seen at a building that six humans are found dead in? Yeah... it might be a bit harder in this timeline to get humans to accept monsters..."

Papyrus lightened up at that though. "BUT... WAIT! YOU KNOW HOW WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE! DID IT WORK?" Frisk nodded. "Yeah, but it's not the same-" "THAT'S GREAT!!! YOU CAN HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO!" Frisk stumbled over themself, "b- but-"

"don't worry, kid," Sans interrupted them, "it's not going to be easy. i'm nervous too. but as long as we don't give up, we can get past this; you know how we've done it before." He reached to put his hand comfortingly on Frisks shoulder. "...so we'll do it again." Frisk smiled weakly. 

Papyrus eyed Sans in confusion. "WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE IS THE REAL SANS?"

Sans laughed, putting his hand in his pocket again. "he went on break once all the crying started, i'm afraid." "OH THAT LAZYBONES! WELL, I GUESS YOU'LL HAVE TO DO FOR NOW."

The three of them stood, Sans leaning on Papyrus for support. "COME ON. WE SHOULD TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THE BARRIER TOMORROW. IT'S LATE, AND I'M EXHAUSTED."

Sans furrowed his brow, looking up at his brother. "okay, now i'm gonna have to ask you where papyrus went. c'mon bro, _you're_ tired?" Papyrus shrugged, "IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES!!" Sans shook his head, in disbelief. "alright... i'll take your word for it." He was obviously skeptical, but his amused grin remained firm.

Sans broke away from them and started to walk down the side of the mountain, kicking snow leisurely as he went. Frisk raised a hand to stop him, but Papyrus stopped them. "HE ALWAYS GOES THE WRONG WAY. HE'LL BE INSIDE BEFORE US, AT THIS RATE." Frisk blinked in realization. "Oh. Right," they mumbled to themself.

The two entered the underground; Frisk held Papyrus' hand, following him closely. They entered the garden. Frisk stopped to pick up the flower that used to be Flowey. It was crushed and a petal had fallen off. As Frisk lifted it up to inspect it, they frowned sadly. "Why did Chara have to squash him...? I can't carry him around like this..."

Papyrus didn't know what to do. The flower was completely busted. There wasn't any way he could fix it, was there..?

Suddenly, he had an idea. "FRISK! LET ME SEE HIM!" They mournfully passed the flower to him, and he held it up to inspect it. "I THINK I CAN FIX IT!" Frisk jumped in surprise, face lightening up hopefully. "Really? How?"

Papyrus wasn't sure how much his godly power could do, but healing had always been a part of his repertoire before. He had been pretty good at healing, and with this new strength he could probably restore the plant to its former glory!

A green light shone from his hands and he struggled to keep the power from overwhelming him. A new petal slowly grew from the missing space, and the flower regained its healthful colour. He held it out to Frisk, grinning. "FOR YOU!"

Frisk stared at him in awe, taking the flower and holding it to their face, inspecting it. "That's amazing... " they frowned, "but... maybe I shouldn't carry it around anymore..." Papyrus raised an eyebrow, "WHY NOT?"

They knelt down, digging a small hole in the dirt and planting the flower alongside the others. It was noticeably larger than all the rest. "Flowey is gone now. _Asriel_ is gone now. It's just a regular flower. It should be allowed to grow like all the others." They patted down the dirt, leaning away. "Now that we can't reset anymore... I shouldn't keep fooling myself by carrying him around."

Papyrus approached them nervously, wanting to console them. "YOU DON'T NEED TO LET GO OF THE PAST IMMEDIATELY! IT TAKES TIME!" Frisk sighed, "yeah... I know." They stood up and stepped away from the flower anyway.

"Let's keep going." Frisk approached him, grabbing his hand. He didn't budge from his spot. "BUT... FRISK... " Frisk frowned up at him, and he couldn't resist those eyes. He sighed, nodding. "OKAY... LET'S GO."

He lead them along the pathway to New Home, the silence deafening. The house was still a mess. When they reached the top of the stairs, they stood aimlessly in the living room. "SO... ARE YOU HUNGRY? WE HAVEN'T EATEN IN A LONG TIME. IT MUST'VE BEEN... HOURS." Frisk shook their head. "Nah. It's late... I just... wanna go to bed."

"you can say that again." Frisk jumped as Sans suddenly appeared by their side.

"YOU GOING TO SLEEP THIS EARLY DOESN'T SURPRISE ME IN THE LEAST!" Papyrus said, rolling his eyes. Sans shrugged, "hey gimme a break, it was a long day. ...i'll go out for groceries tomorrow." "DON'T BOTHER. WE'RE LEAVING TOMORROW, REMEMBER?"

Sans nodded, "yeah, but we still gotta have breakfast." He started off for his bedroom, pulling a hand from his pocket to shortly wave back at them. Papyrus sighed, "DON'T GET US ANYTHING GREASY." "right, right. g'night bro. night kid." Sans entered his room, shutting and locking the door with a soft _click_.

Frisk silently stared up at him. The two stood still, at a loss of what to do. Papyrus didn't feel hungry or injured at all since he absorbed the souls, so he wasn't really interested in eating. But Frisk was just a child! And they had been through so much today, they needed to eat. He looked down at them. Only then did he notice the heavy bags under their eyes. Papyrus sighed.

"YOU KNOW WHAT? IT _IS_ EARLY.... BUT SANS IS RIGHT. TODAY HAS BEEN MUCH TOO EVENTFUL, EVEN FOR ME." Frisk nodded. "Yeah. We should get to bed." Papyrus walked towards his room, but paused when he noticed that Frisk had not followed him. He turned to them, making them fiddle with the front of their jacket.

They looked at the floor nervously, "um... can we still... sleep together...?" Papyrus smiled. He knelt down, opening his arms invitingly. "COME ON, FRISK. I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD EVEN GET TO SLEEP WITHOUT YOU THERE." Frisk smiled at him widely, eyes shimmering. They raced into his arms, and he hugged them for a brief moment. They were still as warm as ever.

He then lifted them from the ground, making them laugh. He carried the human into his room and they giggled weakly as they peered around at it. It was the same as it had been the day he left. Just maybe the air was a bit stale now.

Frisk pointed to his bed. "So you _did_ keep the racecar bed." Papyrus sat on it, settling Frisk down beside him. "OF COURSE! IT'S VERY IMPORTANT!"

Frisk nodded, pointing across the room. "And you kept your action figures." Papyrus eyed the toys with disappointment.  "YES, BUT I WAS ALWAYS TOO BUSY TO USE THEM ONCE I BECAME KING. MAYBE WHEN EVERYTHING ON THE SURFACE IS SETTLED OUT, I CAN PLAY WITH- UH," he hesitated, "USE THEM FOR BATTLE STRATEGIES... AGAIN." Frisk grinned cheekily at him.

"Right." They definitely weren't fooled. 

The human sat quietly, peering around the room. Eventually they looked down at the bed, patting the sheets absentmindedly. "You know... in the other timeline... you got a real sports car. You drove down the highway with it all the time; even when you didn't have anywhere to go."

Papyrus smiled at such a thought. That sounded like something he'd do. Maybe he'd still be able to get that car in this time, too...

"DID I EVER BRING YOU?" He asked. Frisk shrugged, "sometimes."

Frisk didn't even bother to change into their pajamas. They removed their mittens, shoes and their jacket, putting the clothing into the dimensional box before snuggling under his covers. Papyrus stood to hang up his sweater and put his boots in the wardrobe. For a short moment he paused and stared at his battle body, hung up in the corner. He hadn't worn it in months. He considered wearing it tomorrow. That would be... nice. 

Eventually he shut the door, and slipped into bed beside the small human. Frisk snuggled up next to him, head on his bony shoulder. He wrapped that arm around them. He watched as they slowly drifted off. They slept soundly, with a small melancholy frown on their face. 

His eyes were wide open and he stared up into the ceiling; once again he couldn't sleep. He missed his cyan humans' voice. His mind almost felt empty without them. He could still feel their presence, but they felt more like a part of him now rather than a separate entity.

He wondered what he was supposed to do with all these souls, now. Should he expel them? Let them go free, like Chara? He selfishly wanted to hold onto the blue soul. They may hate Sans, but they were his friend! He didn't have very many friends anymore... He couldn't lose them too... 

Papyrus' mind raced, unable to settle even with Frisks soothing presence. There was just so much work he was going to have to do tomorrow. Helping integrate the monsters would indeed be another large task for him to shoulder responsibility for. 

This would be difficult, but... at least the monsters would be happier. They were free. They wouldn't be wanting him to do anymore bad things.  

Hopefully moving to the surface would be easier than being King had been. Maybe he'd be able to actually relax once everything was over with. 

He'd have the time to properly mourn his friends. Maybe Frisk would get the time to tell him about the pacifist timeline. He at least wanted to know how Undyne had felt about the surface. What she had done. If she had been happy. 

Maybe Frisk would let Sans live with them after all. Maybe he, his brother and Frisk would get a nice house on the surface. Then the three of them could just... move on from this. Together. 

He wanted to move on. It would take time, but at least now they had all the time in the world. He would so love a timeline where everything was happier, but if this was the ending they were going to stick with... 

Well... he'd make the best of it.

He managed a small smile at that, and he nuzzled his cheek in Frisks hair. He could find a way to do this; after all, he was the Great Papyrus! If he couldn't do it... nobody could. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story took eons to write. It shouldn't surprise anyone (considering my update schedule) to hear that I wrote this entire thing before I even considered posting it. I've never written anything longer than 10,000 words before so this was a bran new experience for me!
> 
> Since I never intended on posting this while I was writing it, it's very self-indulgent. I just wanted there to be more Papyrus/Frisk fluff! And more King Papyrus content. And more Papyrus angst where his overall personality doesn't get ruined. etcetera. but I posted it cause maybe there someone else out there that wants something like this too! who knows.
> 
> So it means a lot to me if anyone actually read through the whole thing. Thanks for reading!


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